Vale of Aylesbury Local Plan (VALP)
Have your say!
The public consultation for the Vale of Aylesbury Local Plan (VALP) is already underway and finishes 14th December.
If we, as residents of the local Parishes, would like our voice heard we need to respond. This is your opportunity to make a difference and have your views heard – all the responses to the consultation will be passed to the Inspector, who will undertake an independent review of the plan next year.
If you would like to see a hard copy of the VALP, there is one in the library or you can go on-line to find the details at:
https://www.aylesburyvaledc.gov.uk/valp-proposed-submission
We would like to emphasise that as many individual responses as possible will add weight to the community reaction to the plan, and we would urge all those who have not responded yet to spend a few minutes to give your responses, and ‘Have Your Say!’.
The responses to the plan are meant to be focussed to two areas, firstly questioning the legality of plan and secondly the soundness of the plan. By ‘Soundness’ we don’t mean if you like or don’t like it! it means that the plan is or is not sound in its foundations.
Soundness means:
– Was the Plan positively prepared to meet the local housing needs?
– Does it include any unmet needs from surrounding districts?,
– Is the plan justified, does the evidence provided by AVDC show the best choice?
– Is it effective and it is deliverable?
– Finally, does it comply or is it consistent with the National Planning Policy Framework (NPPF).
We can give some examples of the subjects that we will be raising and why.
1) In the VALP it is suggested that at some time in the future they may seek to raise the green belt status and put more housing over and above the 1000 dwellings they have proposed. We are saying no to lifting the green belt because it is not justified as they have not produced any evidence to support that statement.
2) The VALP has not produced any detailed evidence for the infrastructure required to support the 1000 dwellings. Our input will be that the plan is not effective because necessary information on infrastructure is missing. This needs to be corrected before the plan can be considered sound.
3)The policy map showing where residential houses will potentially be built has other contentious areas to raise queries on. As an example there is an area shown on the map for potential residential housing which includes the playing fields that border Chestnut Avenue and Halton Lane. It also includes the all-weather pitch and the Nuffield Pavilion. Currently these are used by local sports and social clubs as well as the RAF. So this is contrary to the NPPF paragraph 74 which says ‘ existing playing fields should not be built on unless’… In addition to the playing fields, the land on the other side of Chestnut Avenue is also included in the residential housing plan, despite being part of the listed Halton estate gardens. So here is a situation where the plan is ‘not effective’ as Historic England have not granted permission and is not consistent with the NPPF para 132 which states that they should be protecting heritage assets.
So even if you agree or disagree with the above examples please take some time and make an individual response to the VALP and let them know your views.
As a side note to all road users of the routes through Halton Village, there has been notification of a planned road closure for Drainage Maintenance, between the junction of Chestnut Avenue and the Upper Icknield Way at the RAF camp, through Halton Village and on through the village including Airfield Road down to the junction at Weston Turville. Access to be advised, and it is planned between 1st January and 9th March 2018
Here’s wishing everyone a Very Happy Christmas and New Year.
Brian Thompson and Paul Czaplinski