Some towns in the two home counties are crying out for development, but others are saying “no”. William Ellison reports
With Bedfordshire looking for room for an extra 49,300 homes by 2011 and with Buckinghamshire seeking a hefty 64,000, development space in the two counties will be tight.
Bedford admits that it may have to use greenfield land for residential development, but High Wycombe is expecting to meet the government target of building 60% of the required homes on brownfield land.
The main beneficiary of this rush for land is likely to be Milton Keynes. It professes to have enough housing land to see it through till 2008. This will all be on greenfield sites because, as it is only 30 years old, opportunities for regeneration in Milton Keynes are limited.
Answers to questions on processing planning applications show that most of the local authorities surveyed are matching the average return of 63% in eight weeks.
High Wycombe claims that its average response is six to eight weeks, with Luton reaching an average turnaround of eight weeks. But few threaten the government’s target of an 80% turnover within thetwo-month period.
Despite the government’s anti-road policy, the majority of the authorities are looking at expanding these routes. However, the problems involved in planning for such development are apparent – in Aylesbury Vale, for example, the construction on its proposed series of link roads will start any time between 2001 and 2011.
The city of the car – Milton Keynes – is now looking to green itself, and proposes a network of park-and-ride sites, improved bus routes, cycle ways, and improvements for the most neglected commuters in the town, pedestrians.
Airports are gaining in significance as Luton continues its planned expansion and Buckinghamshire considers how events at Heathrow, just over the county border, will affect it.
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Bedfordshire county council |
Bedford borough council |
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Director of environmental economic development: Mike Kenworthy Phone: 01234 228 004 Political control of council: Conservative General Policy on greenfield development: Minimise loss of greenfield land and encourage use of brownfield sites Policy on regeneration development: As above Policy on out-of-town development: As above Target number of residential homes needed by 2011: 49,300 from 1991 to 2011 Availability of grants/EZ status/EU funding: Konver; Adapt; Esteem: Local/structure plan in force: Structure Plan 2011 (adopted March 1997) Transport/infrastructure policy New roads/road-widening schemes planned: A6 Clapham bypass/A421 Gt Barford bypass (Highways Agency). A421 Barford Western bypass – delayed funding. A507 Ridgmont bypass New transport improvements: East/west rail Airports and expansion plans: Luton Airport Millennium schemes: Marston Vale Millennium County Park |
Borough planner and deputy director: David Bailey Phone: 01234 227361 Planning policy and economic development manager: Richard Woodall Phone: 01234 221730 Political control of council: hung (Labour largest party) General Policy on greenfield development: Generally very restrictive but sometimes premitted to meet housing targets Policy on regeneration development: Encouraged where appropriate Policy on out-of-town development: No demand seen at present but if acceptable would be restrictive on range of goods sold Target number of residential homes by 2011: 16,200 Availability of grants/EZ status/EU funding: Limited Local/structure plan in force: Bedfordshire Structure Plan 2011. Bedford Borough Local Plan – adopted 1993. Deposit Draft Bedford Borough Local Plan – February 1997. Local plan public inquiry commences Jan 1999 Planning policy Number of planning applications dealt with annually: 1,900 Average length of time for decision: 60% determined in eight weeks Number of applications sent to appeal: Approx 80 pa Transport/infrastructure policy New roads/road-widening schemes: A6 Clapham bypass, A421 Great Barford bypass, A421 Barford to Marston Moretaine, Badford Western bypass New transport improvements: Thameslink 2000, east-west rail link Millennium schemes: Millennium County Park – Stewartby |
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Luton borough council |
Buckinghamshire county council |
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Assistant director, planning and development: Ian Slater Phone: 01582 546329 Chief economic development officer: Sarah Bissett-Johnson Phone: 01582 546433 Political control of council: Labour General Policy on greenfield development: All greenfield land in the borough is allocated for development Policy on regeneration development: Supported for employment use (B1), but mixed-use development negotiable Policy on out-of-town development: Generally opposed Target number of residential homes needed by 2011: 6,200 Availability of grants/EZ status/EU funding: Some grants available through the council’s EDU or Luton Dunstable Partnership. Awaiting the results of bid for Assisted Area Status. Konver II, Adapt, and CORE Adapt funds for SMEs Local/structure plan in force: Bedfordshire Structure Plan 2011, adopted in 1997. Borough of Luton Local Plan, adopted in 1997 Planning policy Number of planning applications dealt with annually: 1,100 Average length of time for decision: Eight weeks Number of applications sent to appeal: 30 Transport/infrastructure policy New roads/road-widening schemes: New and improved roads proposed in local plan and TPP New transport improvements: Translink rapid transit guided busway Airports and expansion plans: London Luton Airport, expansion to 5m passengers per annum (under construction) |
Head of planning and countryside: Peter Storey Phone: 01296 385110 Economic development officer: Pat Ward Phone: 01296 382157 Political control of council: Conservative General Policy on greenfield development: N/A Policy on regeneration development: The advice to district councils is to givepriority to the reuse of brownfield land for housing and related development before the release of greenfield sites. The reuse of major brownfield sites in the open countryside will generally be permitted provided that the site has been identified in an adopted local plan and the impact is no greater than the existing use Policy on out-of-town development: Permitted only where development would meet an identified qualitative and quantifiable need which cannot be met satisfactorily either within or on the edge of the town centre Target number of residential homes needed by 2011: 64,000 new dwellings needed between 1991 and 2011 Availability of grants/EZ status/EU funding: No enterprise zones, grants or EU funding Local/structure plan in force: Buckinghamshire County Structure Plan 1991-2011 Transport/infrastructure policy New roads/road-widening schemes: Bypasses planned Airports and expansion plans: Heathrow Terminal 5 is just outside county boundary |
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Milton Keynes council |
Aylesbury Vale district council |
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Head of planning: David Hackforth Phone: 01908 252250 Head of community and economic development: Vanessa Gwynn Phone: 01908 253490 Political control of council: Labour |
Senior planner: Andy Bateson Director of planning, property and construction services: John Styles Phone: 01296 585064 Chief economic development officer: Tracey Aldworth Phone: 01296 585064 Political control of council: Liberal |
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General Policy on greenfield development: Sufficient housing land remaining in the city, mostly owned by CNT, to meet development needs up to about 2007-8 Policy on regeneration development: Limited potential in a planned new town, but opportunities being identified as part of local plan review Policy on out-of-town development: New retail development should fit in with retail strategy in local plan Target number of residential homes needed by 2011: 36,700 (from 1991 to 2011) Availability of grants/EZ status/EU funding: None, successful in bids for SRB and EC funding for certain projects Local/structure plan in force: Buckinghamshire County Structure Plan 1991-2011. Milton Keynes Borough Local Plan |
General Policy on greenfield development: General presumption against Policy on regeneration development: Priority given to the regeneration of sites within settlements Policy on out-of-town development: Planning permission refused for development that significantly affects strategic gaps. Retail development will be considered based on sequential test Target number of residential homes by 2011: 15,600 during 1996-2011 Local/structure plan in force: 1995 Aylesbury Vale Rural Areas Local Plan 1991 Aylesbury Local Plan |
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Planning policy Number of planning applications dealt with annually: 1,500 approx Average length of time for decision: Approx 65-70% within eight weeks. Number of applications sent to appeal: 20-30 pa |
Planning policy Number of planning applications dealt with annually: 2,000-2,400 pa (1995-98) Average length of time for decision: 63% within eight weeks Number of applications sent to appeal: 70-100 (1995-98) |
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Transport/infrastructure policy New roads/road-widening schemes: TPP includes “longer-term” schemes for Olney bypass and Bletchley southern bypass. M1 widening and J13 and J14 improvements are to be “looked at”. Looking to lower status of A509 from Milton Keynes to junction with A428 New transport improvements: Milton Keynes urban package bid. Quality bus routes, park and ride sites, pedestrian and cycle route upgrades. Plus east-west rail service serving Milton Keynes central and Bletchley Airports and expansion plans: Luton Airport |
Transport/infrastructure policy New roads/road-widening schemes: Aston Clinton bypass (planned to open 2004). Aylesbury’s Western, Eastern, Bierton and Stock Lake link roads(planned construction sometime between 2001-2011) New transport improvements: New cross-town public transport corridors planned at Aylesbury linking four new edge-of-town sites with each other and the town centre. New station halts safeguarded at Aylesbury (N&S), Quainton, Calvert and Winslow Airports and expansion plans: None, although Heathrow and Luton are just over the district boundaries |
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Wycombe district council |
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Chief planning officer: Chris Swanwick Phone: 01494 421501 Chief economic development officer:David Frost Phone: 01494 421545 Political control of council: hung |
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General Policy on regeneration development: A sequential approach to the location of new development is taken that gives priority to reusing previously developed sites, with the aim of achieving the government’s target that 60% of new housing development comes from this source Policy on out-of-town development: Sequential approach adopted and applications determined on merits Target number of residential homes needed by 2011: Between 2001-2011, 3,700 dwellingsrequired in the borough. No predictions/allocations yet determined to 2016 Availability of grants/EZ status/EU funding: No grants or enterprise zone funding. Limited EU funding Local/structure plan in force: Wycombe District Local Plan Buckinghamshire County Structure Plan 1991-2011 |
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Planning policy Number of planning applications dealt with annually: 2,700 pa Average length of time for decision: Six to eight weeks Number of applications sent to appeal: Approx 250 |
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Transport/infrastructure policy Airports and expansion plans: Wycombe air park Millennium schemes: Millennium pool, Marlow |
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Length of time for a planning decision |
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The high number of applications at Wycombe district council do not slow down the process |
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Bedford |
60% within eight weeks |
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Luton |
Eight weeks |
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Milton Keynes |
65% within eight weeks |
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Aylesbury Vale |
63% within eight weeks |
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Wycombe |
6-8 weeks |
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Number of planning applications per year |
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Surprisingly, given its prominence, Luton deals with the smallest number of applications |
