Meeting documents

To consider the report attached as an appendix.

Contact Officer: Peter Williams 01296 585208

An assessment of the Green Belt was being undertaken as part of the evidence base for the emerging Vale of Aylesbury Local Plan (VALP). Part 1 of the work was being undertaken jointly with Wycombe District Council, Chiltern District Council, South Bucks District Council and Buckinghamshire County Council. The assessment would be used to inform the emerging Local Plans in the area including AVDC’s. The National Planning Policy Framework (NPPF) permitted the review of Green Belt areas when local plans were being prepared.

In March 2016, Part 1 of the Buckinghamshire Green Belt Assessment, undertaken by consultants Arups, had been published and had been made available on AVDC’s website.

The assessment looked at how areas of land within the Green Belt, and some areas adjacent, performed against the five purposes of the Green Belt as set in the NPPF. These were:-

·         To check the unrestricted sprawl of large built-up areas;

·         To prevent neighbouring towns merging into one another;

·         To assist in safeguarding the countryside from encroachment;

·         To preserve the setting and special character of historic towns; and

·         To assist in urban regeneration, by encouraging the recycling of derelict and other urban land.

Arup had identified some parcels of land which perform weaker against these purposes and other parcels which had areas within them which were likely to perform  weaker if assessed on their own. There were three areas identified within the Vale and the recommendations for them were attached to the report as an appendix. A map produced by Arup showing areas for consideration at stage 2 had also been attached as an appendix. Aylesbury Vale’s areas were RSA-1, 2 and 3. Only a small proportion of RSA-1 fell within AVDC’s area. The majority of RSA-3 (Halton) was already built on. Part of the land assessed in the Green Belt had previously been a listening station during the cold War and since the removal of the aerials on it, was now just a green field.

Stage 2 consideration of the review would assess constraints on the sites to see whether they were potentially suitable for development (similar to the way sites were assessed in the Housing and Economic Land Availability Assessment – HELAA) and whether there were exceptional circumstances to justify the release of Green Belt land. The review would also look at whether permanent and defensible boundaries could be identified if the Green Belt were to be amended. Any sites which were proposed for removal or additional to the Green Belt would be consulted on as part of the draft VALP.

It was acknowledged that the Green Belt Assessment would also form part of the capacity assessments of the other Buckinghamshire Councils and be part of determining what their unmet need would be. Chiltern and South Bucks DC’s had already consulted on the suitability of sites to be removed from the Green Belt ahead of the phase 2 work. This had shown more land as being considered for removal than had been indicated in the Arup study and would be progressed through their local plan preparation process.

Members commented on a number of issues including the public’s perception of Green Belt land. It was acknowledged that Green Belt zones contained a number of different types of land uses, and they weren’t restricted to attractive green field sites. Initially Green Belts were set up under the Town and Country Planning Act, 1947 as buffers around cities to prevent urban sprawl.

It was expected that Wycombe DC would be producing its Green Belt review at the end of May/beginning of June 2016 and Chiltern/South Bucks by the end of the Summer/early Autumn. The Forward Plans team were working on an agreed methodology with the other councils but this wouldn’t be finalised until later.

RESOLVED –

Members noted the content of the report.