Cabinet recommends eastern arc
Archived press release
Date Published: 11/03/09
Around 10,000 new homes in Aylesbury will be built between now and 2026.
Aylesbury Vale District Council cabinet members have put forward their recommendation for the direction of growth in Aylesbury.
At a meeting of the cabinet on 10 March, councillors chose the eastern arc as their preferred option for the allocation of around 10,000 new homes in the town between now and 2026.
Around 350 members of the public attended the cabinet meeting to hear the debate. Nearly 30 people (including local members representing residents from both the southern and eastern arc options), took advantage of the opportunity to speak at the meeting prior to the cabinet debate.
The eastern growth arc would see development in three broad areas, one to the north of Bierton between the A413 Buckingham Road and the A418 Wing Road; the second to the south of Bierton, north of the Grand Union canal near Broughton Crossing; and the third to the north of Weston Turville between the A41 Aston Clinton Road and the A413 Wendover Road.
Cabinet members made their decision based on:
• The significantly lower level and risk of deliverability of the eastern arc as a whole
• The lower risk of delivery of key transport infrastructure for the town which is delivered by the development
• Weight of public opinion in favour of the eastern arc
• Greater green infrastructure, biodiversity and habitat creation that the eastern arc delivers
• The development areas in the eastern arc are the most flexible in terms of how they relate to existing residential areas.
There were 2,274 responses to a consultation asking people to choose between a southern, eastern and combined growth arc, 95 per cent of which were from members of the public. Of these, 55 per cent chose the east, 38 per cent south and only six per cent the combined growth arc.
Responses from the east chose the south and vice versa. Those people not living in or near to either arc preferred the eastern option.
The reasons people gave for supporting the eastern arc were better transport infrastructure, flood protection and there would be greater benefits of development in this area to both existing and new communities.
Councillor Carole Paternoster, Cabinet Member for Strategic Planning, said: “The government has told us that we must take this development and it must be on the outskirts of Aylesbury. Saying no is not an option. However, we do have a choice about where the growth goes, what it looks like, and what infrastructure must be provided.
“Council officers have looked in detail at three different options for the growth of Aylesbury and, in light of the evidence, we are now in a position to recommend our preferred option to full council. It wasn’t a decision the cabinet took lightly. At the same time, we have to make a recommendation and we believe the eastern growth arc is the best option for the future of the area.”
The figure of 10,000 homes on greenfield sites near Aylesbury has been allocated by the government as part of its south east plan, detailing housing targets which we must meet by 2026. The total allocation for the entire Vale is nearly 27,000.
AVDC is developing a planning document called the Core Strategy to make sure this growth will be sustainable and manageable. The direction of growth for housing around Aylesbury will be included in the Core Strategy, which will be discussed by the Environment Scrutiny Committee on 23 March. It will come back to cabinet on 21 April, and then be considered at a special council meeting on 29 April.
If approved, the plan will be submitted in the summer to the government and published for further comment. At this stage, comments will be sent direct to the government prior to a public inquiry being held. This is expected to take place late December 2009/early 2010.
More information can be found on the council’s website at www.aylesburyvaledc.gov.uk/LDF or call 01296 585435.