Publication of the Vale of Aylesbury Plan Strategy – Proposed Submission

Last week I received a letter from AVDC to inform me that a six week publicity period for the proposed Vale Of Aylesbury Plan has now commenced and will be running until 5pm on Wednesday 19^th June. During this period, the public are able view the proposals in detail and submit their comments on its legal compliance and soundness, before it is submitted to Government for independent examination.

These proposals outline the emerging development plan for the entire District until 2031. Among other things, the Plan sets out strategic objectives for:

-          Housing figures

-          Economic Growth

-          Job creation

-          Environmental protection

-          Infrastructure

-          Local planning principles

To view the proposals and download the relevant publication material, please follow the link below:

http://www.aylesburyvaledc.gov.uk/local-development-plans/vale-of-aylesbury-plan/

Alternatively, you can ask request a DVD or paper copies of the publication material by calling 01296 585439 or emailing VAPconsult@aylesburyvaledc.gov.uk . Comment forms can also be obtained through these channels.

I should emphasise that comments must be submitted by 19^th June at the latest. This deadline is fixed and there is no room for flexibility.

Eric Pickles – Daily Telegraph

Recently the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government wrote an article in The Daily Telegraph entitled Trust me – I won’t let the bulldozers wreck Middle England which I thought may be of interest to constituents. To read the article please click here.

East of Watermead Planning Application

Constituents may be interested to read the below letter I have recently sent to the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government concerning the East of Watermead Planning Application which was recently submitted to Aylesbury Vale District Council.

Hampden Fields

I recently wrote to David Rose of the Planning Inspectorate who has been appointed by the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government to determine the Hampden Fields planning application.  I have included a copy of my letter to Mr Rose below.

Hemley Hill

I recently wrote to Brandow Lewis, a Minister within the Department for Communities and Local Government, to pass on suggestions from Wycombe District Council concerning the planning system and authorised traveller sites. I have now received a reply which I have enclosed below.

Hampden Fields

I have enclosed below a copy of a letter that I have received from The Planning Inspectorate, regarding the Hampden Fields appeal and the pre-inquiry meeting that is due to take place next week, which I thought may be of interest to constituents.

A letter from Eric Pickles concerning the revocation of the regional strategy for the South East of England Plan

I recently received the below letter from Eric Pickles, the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, concerning the revocation of the regional strategy for the South East of England Plan. I warmly welcome this announcement which means that the top down Central Government targets for house building will be scrapped. It will give more responsibility to elected local councillors to decide how much development we need and where it should take place.

Hampden Fields

I thought constituents may be interest to read the below letter I have written to Sir Michael Pitt, Chief Executive of the Planning Inspectorate, to clarify on what grounds the appeal by the Hampden Fields Consortium to have the Planning Inspectorate consider their application was granted.

My letter to Eric Pickles on Hampden Fields

Further to my post on the 2^nd of January I thought constituents may be interested to read my letter to the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government on Hampden Fields and have enclosed a copy of it below.

Hampden Fields latest

Residents in Weston Turville and Bedgrove will know that the consortium hoping to build 3000+ homes on the Hampden Fields site recently submitted a revised planning application.  This included some significant changes to the original plan. They then applied to the Communities and Local Government Secretary, Eric Pickles, to decide the case. There was a lot of local surprise at this since neither Aylesbury Vale Council nor local residents had had time to consider the new plans. From what the consortium has said, it would seem likely that  what has driven them is a fear that the Planning Inspectorate would decide the appeal against AVDC’s refusal of the Fleet Marston development proposal (North of Berryfields) ahead of any decision on Hampden Fields. Presumably they fear that if the Inspector allows development at Fleet Marston, it would weaken the case for yet more housing at Hampden Fields.

Anyhow, I’ve signed off a letter to Mr Pickles to make clear my view that it would be wrong for his Department or the Planning Inspectorate to accept the Hampden Fields case for decision at this stage, when there has not been anything approaching a reasonable time for the revised proposals to be considered locally. My understanding is that the Inspectors are still considering whether or not to accept the case onto their list. I’ll post the text of the letter here as soon as possible.

I’ve also lobbied the Planning Minister Nick Boles about the need for the Government to deliver on its policy of scrapping the previous administration’s Regional Spatial Strategies (RSS) which include Labour’s housing targets. He told me that they would do so but that since the courts had struck down their first attempt to do this, they needed to be absolutely certain of their legal ground. The good news is that just before Christmas Ministers announced the scrapping of the RSS for Eastern England. I shall continue to press hard for early action to do the same for the South East targets.