OUR plan is YOUR plan Vale of Aylesbury Local Plan Draft Plan for Summer 2016 Consultation It’s your plan too, so take the time to have your say DRAFT Vale of Aylesbury Local Plan 2 Contents Page Number 1 Background 10 Introduction 11 Profile of Aylesbury Vale District 16 2 Vision & Strategic Objectives 20 A Vision for Aylesbury Vale to 2033 21 3 Strategic 26 Sustainable development of Aylesbury Vale 27 Sustainable strategy for growth and its distribution 29 Settlement hierarchy and cohesive development 35 Green Belt 41 Infrastructure 44 Protected transport schemes 47 Gypsy, Traveller and travelling showpeople provision 49 Previously developed land 53 Delivering through neighbourhood planning 54 4 Strategic Delivery 56 Aylesbury – Delivery of a garden town 57 Delivering a new settlement 65 Sites adjacent to Milton Keynes 69 Delivering the allocated sites 72 Delivering the allocated sites – at strategic settlements 73 Delivering the allocated sites – at larger villages 78 Delivering the allocated sites – at medium villages 84 Delivering sites at smaller villages 91 Assessing proposals at other settlements 97 The need for new employment land 98 Town, village and local centres to support new and existing communities 100 DRAFT Vale of Aylesbury Local Plan 3 Aylesbury town centre 103 Gypsy, Traveller and travelling showpeople sites 110 5 Housing 112 Affordable housing on open market sites 113 Affordable housing on rural exception sites 115 Rural workers dwellings 116 Replacement dwelling in the countryside 122 Self/custom build housing 123 Housing mix 124 Dwelling sizes 127 6 Economy 128 Employment 129 Other existing employment sites 131 Provision of ancillary facilities for employees in business, industrial and warehousing developments 132 Development outside town centres 134 Shop and business frontages 136 Tourism development 138 Tourist accommodation 139 Agricultural development 142 7 Transport 143 Vehicle parking 144 Footpaths and cycle routes 150 Electric vehicle infrastructure 151 8 Built Environment 152 Heritage assets 153 Design of new development 157 Protection of the amenity of residents 160 9 Natural Environment 161 DRAFT Vale of Aylesbury Local Plan 4 Protected sites 162 Biodiversity 163 Landscape 166 Pollution, noise, contaminated land and air quality 170 Local green spaces 174 Best and most versatile agricultural land 175 Trees, hedgerows and woodlands 176 10 Countryside 177 Conversion of rural buildings 178 Equestrian development 182 Renewable energy 187 Protection of public rights of way 190 11 Detailed Infrastructure 191 Green infrastructure 192 Sport and recreation 196 Community facilities 198 Flooding 199 Telecommunications 203 12 Appendix A 205 Potential sites to be allocated 206 13 Glossary 212 DRAFT Vale of Aylesbury Local Plan 5 Contents Page Number S1 Sustainable development for Aylesbury Vale 27 S2 Spatial strategy for growth 30 S3 Settlement hierarchy and cohesive development 40 S4 Green Belt 42 S5 Infrastructure 45 S6 Protected transport schemes 48 S7 Gypsy, Traveller and travelling showpeople provision 52 S8 Previously developed land 53 S9 Securing development through neighbourhood plans 55 D1 Delivering Aylesbury Garden Town 64 D2 Deliving a new settlement 68 D3 Delivering sites adjacent to Milton Keynes 71 D4 Housing development at strategic settlements (excluding Aylesbury) 76 D5 Housing development at larger villages 82 D6 Housing development at medium villages 89 D7 Housing development at smaller villages 96 D8 Housing at other settlements 97 D9 Provision of employment land 99 D10 Town, village and local centres to support new and existing communities 102 D11 Site for town centre redevelopment 107 D12 Aylesbury town centre 108 D13 Housing in Aylesbury town centre 108 D14 Gypsy/Traveller and Travelling Showpeople Sites 110 H1 Affordable housing 114 H2 Rural exception sites 115 H3 Rural workers dwellings 120 H4 Replacement dwelling in the countryside 122 H5 Self/custom build housing 123 H6 Housing mix 126 H7 Dwelling sizes 127 E1 Protection of key employment sites 130 DRAFT Vale of Aylesbury Local Plan 6 E2 Other employment sites 131 E3 Provision of complementary facilities for employees 132 E4 Working at home 133 E5 Development outside town centres 134 E6 Shop and business frontages 136 E7 Tourism development 138 E8 Tourist accommodation 140 E9 Agricultural development 142 T1 Vehicle parking 144 T2 Footpaths and cycle routes 150 T3 Electric vehicle infrastructure 151 BE1 Heritage assets 155 BE2 Design of new development 157 BE3 Protection of the amenity of residents 160 NE1 Protected sites 162 NE2 Biodiversity 164 NE3 Landscape character and locally important landscape 166 NE4 The Chilterns AONB and setting 168 NE5 Pollution, air quality and contaminated land 171 NE6 Local green space 174 NE7 Best and most versatile agricultural land 175 NE8 Trees, hedgerows and woodlands 176 C1 Conversion of rural buildings 180 C2 Equestrian development 185 C3 Renewable Energy 188 C4 Protection of public rights of way 190 I1 Green infrastructure 194 I2 Sports and recreation 196 I3 Community facilities 198 I4 Flooding 201 I5 Telecommunications 204 DRAFT Vale of Aylesbury Local Plan 7 Contents Page Number Table 1 Spatial strategy for growth in Aylesbury Vale ................................................................................... 32 Table 2 Past windfall completion rates on sites less than 5 ............................................................................ 33 Table 3 Proposed Settlement Hierarchy and housing development .............................................................. 36 Table 4 Pitch provision required in the district to accommodate Gypsies and Travellers .......................... 50 Table 5 Plot provision required in the district to accommodate travelling showpeople ............................ 50 Table 6 Potential allocations to meet the needs for Gypsies and Travellers ................................................ 51 Table 7 Potential allocations to meet the needs for travelling showpeople ................................................ 52 Table 8 Suitable sites adjacent to Milton Keynes ............................................................................................ 69 2 Table 9 Minimum gross internal floor areas and storage (m ) .................................................................... 127 Table 10 Key employment sites .................................................................................................................... 130 DRAFT Vale of Aylesbury Local Plan 8 Foreword Shaping the Aylesbury Vale’s future: have your say! This is an important time for the district, which like many places across the country will see significant development over the next two decades. Between now and 2033 more than 30,000 homes are set to be built within this area. As well as additional housing, we’re confident this growth will bring more investment, employment and opportunity, helping the district to thrive. When it’s finalised, the Vale of Aylesbury Local Plan will manage and direct that growth up until 2033 in a way that will protect what makes the district a special place. It contains some exciting proposals such as the creation of a new settlement and the designation of Aylesbury as a garden town, which provides sustainable growth in a way that works with Aylesbury’s rural setting. This consultation is the second chance for you to have your say on the content of the plan, which the council believes will build on the vibrant community we already have and play a significant part in the district’s bright future. This draft plan builds on the previous consultation we carried out in 2015 by adding detail and responding to the many comments we received last time. We’ve accommodated the comments where possible and we are eager to hear what you have to say this time as well. We hope you will come along to the consultation events to ask questions and then tell us your thoughts. As well as the plan itself, there are a range of evidence documents that sit behind it. These are available via the council’s website. Much of what you will see in this document relies on the content of that evidence, so you may want to comment on those as well. Further evidence will be prepared and existing evidence revised later this year. Residents and other interested parties will have until 5 September to look at this document and give their views and ideas on what the plan is aiming to achieve, plus whether we’ve found the best locations for new homes and jobs, and whether the suggested policies say the right things. Any comments you make will be taken into account before we reach the formal proposed submission stage later on this year. People will then be able to make formal representations about the plan before it is considered in a public inquiry next year. If, as anticipated, it is approved, we expect it to be put into effect by mid 2017. Please take this opportunity to play your part in the future development of Aylesbury Vale! Thanks in advance for your participation. Cllr Carole Paternoster Cabinet Member for Growth Strategy DRAFT Vale of Aylesbury Local Plan 9 1 Background DRAFT Vale of Aylesbury Local Plan 10 Introduction 1.1 Under the planning system most development needs planning permission. The principal basis for making those decisions is the development plan and this local plan will form the main part of it for the district. Aylesbury Vale District Council (AVDC), is the local planning authority and is responsible for producing the local plan; town and parish