Local Planning Updates

On 23 July 2026, Buckinghamshire Council announced that they have reached the Regulation 19 (Publication) stage of plan preparation and are inviting representations on the Proposed Submission draft Local Plan for Buckinghamshire to 2045.

This is the final statutory consultation stage before the Plan is submitted to the Secretary of State for independent examination by the Planning Inspectorate.

BNG offer advice herein on how YOU can help. Public support is now vital. This Plan is not safe yet. Speculative property developers WILL be making representations to discredit this Plan so that their schemes (invariably on Green Belt land) will be adopted instead.

The Plan, Policies Map, supporting evidence base documents and information on how to make a representation are all available on the Council’s Regulation 19 consultation webpage at www.buckinghamshire.gov.uk/local-plan.

The consultation period runs from Thursday 23 July 2026 until 11:59pm on Sunday 6 September 2026. Representations received after this time cannot normally be accepted and may not be submitted to the Planning Inspectorate.

BNG feel we must support this Plan or offer constructive help to correct any minor oversights. Copies of BNG’s submissions will be posted HERE in due course for BNG supporters to refer to (NOTE: These submissions are currently being prepared by BNG so check back regularly before 6 Sept).

The Local Plan and all the supporting Evidence Base runs to over 400 pages and much of it is of a technical nature. BNG recognise that supporters do not have the time to read and reflect on all the issues as they pertain to Chesham so we have attempted to summarise them here but the Council have also prepared a Summary Leaflet (download HERE) and obviously the Council website remains the key source for comment.

However, we feel the key points for Chesham residents are as follows:

1. The Local Plan sets out a vision for Buckinghamshire’s growth to 2045, including where new homes, jobs, infrastructure and community facilities could be located.
2. It identifies how plans for around 91,000 new homes required by national government and 270 hectares of new employment land can be accommodated, while protecting the county’s environment and character.
3. This Plan has prioritised brownfield sites and sustained affordable housing requirements.
4. It has aimed to plan for roads, schools, healthcare, water and other infrastructure alongside development.
5. Introduced the Buckinghamshire Design Code ensuring new development delivers high-quality, locally distinctive places across Buckinghamshire.
6. Updated Parking Standards for New Developments to make their application clearer and enable flexibility in well connected locations.

The Local Plan has been based around a spatial strategy which sets out where new homes would be located across Buckinghamshire. Bucks Council have focused new housing development in the most sustainable locations, particularly at places with good access to services, jobs and transport.

BNG feels it is notable that the spatial strategy expressly seeks to:

• 1. Protect the Green Belt
• 2. Focus on brownfield and town centre development
• 3. New towns and strategic urban expansions at main settlements
• 4. Limited development within smaller villages

Densities within well-connected locations have been optimised to make best use of land and reduce the need for green field development.

NOTE: Expanding on this theme, the emerging Bucks Local Plan then asserts, “there are sufficient sites to meet our housing requirement outside of the Green Belt and, therefore, whilst we have been required to undertake a Green Belt Assessment and identify ‘grey belt’ areas, no housing allocations on greenfield land have been made within the Green Belt”. (BNG underlining for emphasis – see para 6.5 on p.10 of Draft Local Plan)

BNG supporters may be confused by the fact that only a few months ago we were cautioning local residents about emerging proposals in the Reg 18 Consultation. Whilst several areas of land were provisionally identified as “Grey Belt” (ie Green Belt land that might be suitable for development), these have now all been abandoned by Buckinghamshire Council in the face of overwhelming public comment as typified in BNG’s own Reg 18 response and as such all these Green Belt areas have now been removed from the Local Plan.

The Plan includes a range of allocations, from existing brownfield developments to smaller sites spread across towns and villages.

The largest sites, known as New and Expanded Settlements (NESS), will deliver significant numbers of homes along with new infrastructure and community facilities. NB a former proposal to create a NESS to the NE of Chesham has also now been dropped.

WHAT HAPPENS AFTER THE CONSULTATION?

Subject to approval by Full Council, the Draft Local Plan, supporting evidence and consultation responses will be submitted to the Planning Inspectorate for independent examination by the end of the year.

An independent Planning Inspector will assess whether the Local Plan is legally compliant and sound, taking into account the comments submitted during this consultation.

Following the examination, the Inspector will publish a report identifying whether any changes are required. These changes will be incorporated into the Plan before it is presented to the Council for adoption as Buckinghamshire’s new Local Plan.

Once adopted, it will guide planning decisions across Buckinghamshire until 2045.

How you can help and make comment on the plan

Your comments are vital. The Council will be facing opposition from developers and as a community we must try to support this Plan. BNG have a few comments to make on issues of detail where we think a couple of sites have overestimated housing supply and conversely where some brownfield sites have been overlooked but we are broadly supportive of this Local Plan.

How to make a representation

We strongly encourage you to submit your representation online through OPUS Consult during the consultation period. Whilst you can write or email, it is far easier for the Council to process your comments via the online method.

To make a representation:

• Follow the link to OPUS Consult.
• Register for an OPUS Consult account if you do not already have one.
• Sign in to your account.
• Browse the Draft Local Plan for Buckinghamshire, Policies Map or supporting documents.
• Select the chapter, policy, site allocation or supporting document you wish to comment on.
• Complete and submit your representation by 11:59pm on Sunday 6 September 2026.
• You must clearly identify the chapter, policy, site allocation or supporting document you're commenting on.

Comments should focus on whether the Plan is ready for examination by the Planning Inspectorate – whether it is justified by the evidence, deliverable, legally compliant and consistent with national planning policy.

NOTE You should save your progress regularly while completing the form.

However, OPUS Consult will automatically save your drafted response. So you can return to it and complete your representation before submitting it.