Up to 220 homes at Land South Of Bourton Road, Buckingham

What was proposed

The application sought outline permission for up to 220 homes, affordable housing, a nursery, open space, play areas, drainage and access from Bourton Road.

“Buckinghamshire Council www.buckinghamshire.gov.uk Report to Buckinghamshire Council – Central and North Area Planning Committee Application Number: 24/03426/AOP Proposal: Outline application (all matters reserved apart from access) for residential development (including affordable dwellings), pre- school/nursery (E/F1), SuDS attenuation, public open space including children's play area, access arrangements off Bourton Road and associated landscaping, infrastructure and…”

Officer report

The site and its surroundings

The 10.5-hectare site comprises agricultural fields on Buckingham’s south-eastern edge, outside the settlement boundary and beside the A413 and A421.

“In relation to Buckingham, the site lies on its south-eastern edge. Bourton Road heads due south-east out of Buckingham’s town centre, connecting to London Road close to a local centre and a school. The A413 now acts as a ring road to divert traffic north to the A422 or south to the A421, but Bourton Road extends across this and heads east away from Buckingham into open countryside.”

“Linden Village has a convenience store, and Bourton Meadow Academy & Nursery is located to the south of Linden Village, accessed off Ouse Valley Way. To the immediate north of the site is a small commercial/agricultural compound formed from a mixture of traditional and functional agricultural/commercial buildings. Surrounding this is agricultural land, although within the land to the north of the compound is the River Great Ouse and the Buckingham Canal.”

Officer report

Planning history and plan status

The site had no planning history, while the emerging neighbourhood plan was under examination and did not allocate the site.

“Relevant Planning History 4.1 The site has been subject to no planning history. The development has been screened under the Environmental Impact Assessment Regulations and the local planning authority has concluded that an environmental impact assessment will not be required in this case.”

Officer report

Main benefits and harms

Officers identified significant landscape and countryside harm, heritage and agricultural land impacts, but also substantial housing, affordable housing and infrastructure benefits.

“There would be less than substantial harm to the setting of a designated heritage asset, and a low level of harm caused to the setting of a non-designated heritage asset. The less than substantial harm is considered to be outweighed, individually, by the benefits of the development. A balanced view on the impact of development on the non-designated heritage asset does not result in the development failing for that reason, due to the level of harm being low.”

“Matters applications (i.e. within 18 months). This provides reassurance that the development would address the shortfall within the current period (2024-2029). Consequently, noting the significant contribution the development would make to the Council’s large shortfall of housing, the fact that the applicant is a housing developer and that the applicant is accepting conditions which require quicker submissions and implementations of Reserved Matters, it is submitted…”

Officer report

Public speaking

Public speaking was not permitted because the application had previously been deferred.

The committee’s decision

The committee refused the application because it would significantly extend built development into open countryside and conflict with the development plan and emerging neighbourhood plan.

“That application 24/03426/AOP be REFUSED for the following reasons: i. That the proposed development would constitute a major incursion of built development into open countryside beyond the clearly defined and established settlement boundary, the A413 in a manner unrelated to the existing pattern of development or settlement as a whole and: ii.”

“Local Plan which does not allocate this site.”

Minutes