How many of the 31,000 homes needed will your area take?

A draft plan has mapped out future development of many villages near Leighton Buzzard with major shortfalls of identified housing sites in some rural areas.
builder working on a new housebuilder working on a new house
builder working on a new house

With significant house building taking place around Leighton Buzzard, Aylesbury Vale is also feeling the pressure and is trying to work out how to accommodate 31,000 across the district by 2033.

To meet the huge target, the council has been looking at an area that could accommodate a new settlement.

Land near Cheddington and also Stewkley made a shortlist of a dozen sites, but that has now been narrowed down to either 6,000 dwellings at Haddenham, which the council says is ‘marginally preferable’ to the same number at Winslow.

Every village has also been scrutinised for its potential to contribute towards the overall total as part of the draft Vale of Aylesbury Local Plan which will go before Aylesbury Vale District Council on June 28 before the draft document goes to public consultation between July 7 and September 5.

The draft plan sets out targets for new housing and factors in recently completed properties, sites committed for development, plus land already identified in the council’s Housing and Economic Development Land Availability Assessment (HELAA).

Of the larger villages, the draft document points out that in Ivinghoe where a total of 87 new homes have been suggested, the HELAA identifies no suitable sites and so there is a “significant” shortfall of sites for 71 homes.

Wing is also problematic with a shortfall of 138 homes to be found. Its allocation is 263, but although 100 homes are allocated in the Wing Neighbourhood plan there have been no other suitable sites put forward by the HELAA.

Wingrave has been asked to find 134 homes. With HELAA suggesting sites for 112 and other homes already in the pipeline, it leaves a shortfall of 12 homes on unidentified land.

In Pitstone there are 292 new homes targeted, but the neighbourhood plan identifies a site for 70 homes, leaving a further 166 to be allocated in the Local Plan. The HELAA identifies suitable sites for 229 homes, so only the most sustainable sites need to be progressed.

In Edlesborough the target is 169, with 72 still required when homes already in the pipeline are taken into account. With the HELAA identifying suitable sites for 96 homes, again only the best need to be allocated in the Local Plan.

Development for Pitstone is also well mapped out for the 236 houses suggested. The Neighbourhood plan identifies a site for 70 homes, meaning 166 are outstanding. The HELAA, however has already identified suitable sites for 229 homes, so not all will need to added to the Local Plan.

Other LBO villages (classed as medium or small):

Cheddington 141: Neighbourhood plan includes site for 100 homes. 36 still needed through Local Plan, HELAA indentifies land for 58.

Stewkley 144: 126 still needed through Local Plan, HELAA indentifies land for 85. Shortfall still of 41.

Stoke Hammond 71: Committed sites means no more sites need identifying.

Aston Abbotts 9: 4 still to be identified

Cublington 7: No further sites required

Dagnall 11: 8 still to be identified

Drayton Parslow 12: Only permit approximately 5 homes from 20 on HELAA

Great Brickhill 17: No further sites required

Ivinghoe Aston 5: 5 still to be identified

Mentmore and Ledburn 9: 4 still to be identified

Northall 9: Only permit approximately 4 homes from 21 on HELAA

Slapton 12: No further sites required

Soulbury 16: No further sites required

The draft plan also reveals the future requirement of 57 Gypsy and Traveller pitches – three of this total are suggested as coming from Willows Park (Green Acres), Slapton

The three additional travelling showpeople pitches required are suggested to come from Fairview, Stoke Hammond, where there are currently three unauthorised pitches.

Councillor Carole Paternoster, Cabinet Member for Growth Strategy, said: “The Plan is vital to the future development of the Vale and will have a major effect on all residents.

“A huge amount of work has gone into making sure it will be successful when submitted to Government at the end of this year. “The draft VALP is very much ‘work in progress’ – we still have another six months work to do on the Plan. By the end of this month we will have the Plan ready for public consultation and I urge all residents to send in their comments during the consultation period so that these can be taken into account when the Local Plan is finalised later this year.”

For more information please visit our webpage www.aylesburyvaledc.gov.uk/valp

The total population of Aylesbury Vale was 174,100 at the 2011 census. The population is forecast to increase to around 214,000 by 2033.