Latest Update on Vale of Aylesbury Local Plan

Vale of Aylesbury Local Plan – Update



The Vale of Aylesbury Local Plan examination in Public hearing sessions were concluded in July and the Planning Inspector has submitted his Interim findings to Aylesbury Vale District Council on 29th August. The conclusion of the Planning Inspector is that he believes the Plan could be found sound (subject to a number of modifications).

After receiving the Interim report from the Inspector, the District Council wrote to the Inspector on 7 September 2018 raising number of points in relation to these interim findings. The Inspector is currently considering the points and the Council expect to receive a response very shortly.

The District Council has responded to interim findings and our response to these are now being published as examination documents, and as such, we can expect a renewed interest in VALP and this note is intended to summarise the next steps.

The interim findings contain a number of points which AVDC will need to act upon, but the most significant of these are the Inspector’s views that the housing requirement should be increased by around 1,600 and distribution should be more focused in the north of the district. The District Council has been advised by its QC that the quickest and most pragmatic course of action is to accept the Inspector’s findings.

AVDC is now beginning the process of commissioning further evidence to help determine which site or sites would be the most suitable to meet this increased requirement and adjusted distribution.

The District Council will prepare a series of modifications to the Plan and supporting evidence to reflect the Inspector’s interim findings and once these have been completed, these will be published for six weeks public consultation. It is expect this consultation will be in early 2019. The modifications, along with any further comments received to the modification will be submitted to the Inspector. The Inspector may decide that it is necessary to hold further hearing sessions before finalising his report.

Historic Day for Buckinghamshire

'Historic day for Buckinghamshire’ as Government gives green light to unitary council

 

A brand new county-wide unitary council will be established in Buckinghamshire, the Government confirmed today.

The announcement by Secretary of State James Brokenshire has been hailed as a ‘truly historic day’ by County Council leader Martin Tett.

 

The new council, which will replace the county council and four districts, will be simpler, better value and more local to Buckinghamshire communities than the current two-tier system, ultimately moving to a more sustainable future for the county.

Services which complement one another but are currently divided between the district and county councils such as bin collections, waste disposal, planning and roads, would be brought together under the single unitary council, resulting in more efficient, joined-up services for residents.

 

The Secretary of State said in his statement: "Having assessed both proposals against the criteria that we announced to the House on 28 February 2017 (PQ 65271), I have concluded that whilst both proposals meet the criterion for a “good deal of local support”, only the proposal for a single unitary council satisfies the criteria for “improving local government” and for “being a credible geography” and that in any event the proposal for a single unitary council is better able to meet the criteria overall. 

 

"Accordingly, I am today announcing that I have decided to implement, subject to Parliamentary approval, the locally-led proposal to replace the existing five councils across Buckinghamshire – the two tier structure of Buckinghamshire County Council and the district councils of Aylesbury Vale, Chiltern, South Bucks and Wycombe – by one new single unitary district council, and that I have decided not to implement the proposal for two new unitary councils."

 

View the Secretary of State's full statement at: https://www.parliament.uk/business/publications/written-questions-answers-statements/written-statement/Commons/2018-11-01/HCWS1058/ 

County Council leader Martin Tett said: “This is a truly historic day for Buckinghamshire. The announcement paves the way for a brand new council, fit for the future, created by combining the best of both county and district councils. This new council will be simpler, better value and more local to our residents. It will also have more clout to face head-on the great strategic challenges facing the county over the coming decades.

 

“There has been robust debate over the last couple of years over how best to modernise Buckinghamshire’s out-dated two-tier system. Everyone has agreed that a change to a unitary form of governance is the only way forward.

 

“Now a decision has been made it is the time to put the past behind us and work together, to build the better future Buckinghamshire’s residents deserve.

 

"There are a number of issues we will need to agree with Government, and I look forward to giving you further details as these become known over the coming weeks.”

View Martin Tett's video message to residents at: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zl_31giSjLw&feature=youtu.be 

For more information on the business case for a single unitary council visit www.futurebucks.co.uk