Local Plan - New Houses and Commercial Sep-15

Seven-hundred new houses every year to 2033

Wycombe District Council held a Stakeholder Seminar on 20th October 2015 to brief on the development of the new Local Plan. Full presentation at: www.wycombe.gov.uk/ ... /new-local-plan ...

Government now asks that Local Plans be ready by early 2017, so WDC has brought forward the timetable by 8 months. Main consultation likely mid-2016.

Context

NPPF (National Planning Policy Framework) asks for a five-year land supply 'pipeline'. Allows 'unmet' housing need to be met by other authorities.

There is Tri-County cooperation between Bucks, Oxon and Northants in the sub-region.

The Wycombe Local Plan is an element of the planning for the 'Central Bucks housing market area', which also includes (parts of) the four Bucks Districts.

Process

• Publish draft reports:
• Housing and Economic Land Availability Assessment (available land)
• Economic Demand (jobs projections with BCC, Local Economic Partnership, Highways)
• Assess Green Belt, Part 1 - Christmas-time (by Arup against purpose - to separate settlements)
• Technical work including:
• Green Belt Part 2 (assess development potential of areas from Part 1)
• Transport assessments
• View on development near AONB towns and villages - the "major development" issue
• Duty to Cooperate discussions (with adjacent authorities)

Wycombe's unmet need shows shortfall of approximately 6,000 homes. This can be filled by a mix of use of greenbelt, increasing density of development, using in-town open spaces; and through inter-authority cooperation.

Commercial

Industrial and warehousing is forecast to decline. Office needs are met from the new build at Handy Cross except that permission has been given for 21,000m2 of office space to be converted to residential under new government policy. Westhorpe and Wycombe Air Park are under consideration for new commercial build.