New Local Plan may increase house building

Wycombe District Council have recently published a pamphlet entitled ‘A new Local Plan for the Wycombe District to 2031’.

According to the pamphlet to keep pace with Government targets between 500 to 700 new houses a year may need to be built in the Wycombe District until the year 2031. This is a rise from the current levels of 400 to 450 homes.

The new Local Plan also identified the need to attract new businesses to stem the decline in jobs.

Views are now being sought in helping to identify the best and most sustainable places to build more homes and places to work in the District.

New homes and jobs are already planned through various development sites including at the former RAF base at Daws Hill, Hughenden Avenue, the Handy Cross Hub, Cressex Island and the Town Centre Master Plan.

Reserve sites, namely pieces of land not in the Green Belt, possibly suitable for hew homes include land at Abbey Barn South, Abbey Barn North, Terriers Farm and Gomm Valley and Ashwells the latter of which could provide in the region of 400 homes.

However at the moment the new Local Plan does not identify any potential sites for new homes in Marlow.

Slate Meadow in Bourne End, another of the reserve sites, could provide up to 175 homes.

The new Local Plan identifies several sites suitable for the creation of new jobs including land north of Heath End Road (‘Junction 3A’) in Flackwell Heath, the Buckmaster Playing Fields in Booker and at Wycombe Air Park which would be kept open under any new propsals.

The new Local Plan will also see a review of land designated as Green Belt which currently accounts for almost 50% of the District.

Citizens can make their views heard through a major consultation which runs until Friday 4th April 2014.

More information can be found at www.wycombe.gov.uk/newlocalplan