Planning application for fifty houses at Plough Lane
An outline planning application has been submitted for a field off Plough Lane
9th February 2026
The Parish Council is aware of the following outline planning application:
PL/25/6431/OA Outline planning application for up to 50 residential dwellings (Use Class C3), associated layout and access together with car parking to be determined with scale, appearance, and landscaping. 48 Plough Lane Stoke Poges Buckinghamshire SL2 4JP
You can view the application and make a comment on it on Buckinghamshire Council's website.
We are working hard to put together the relevant evidence to ensure we do our best to protect our green belt. Ultimately the decision on this planning application will be made by Buckinghamshire Council.
If you wish to object to this application the following might help:
- Do not copy and paste this guidance as it will be seen as one objection.
- You do not need to quote all policies verbatim, but the underlying purpose of the policy.
- Do not send in one joint letter as residents, as it will be seen as one objection.
- Petitions do not count.
If you object, we would urge as many residents as possible respond to this application. We understand that the evidence below may appear complicated but you do not need to quote them all.
The Parish Council will continue to gather evidence. We are working with a planning consultant and have requested that our three unitary councillors “call in” this application. In planning terms, this is a formal procedure that allows a local ward councillor to request that a planning application, which would normally be decided by planning officers under delegated powers, be determined instead by the elected Planning Committee. It is a mechanism designed to ensure local democratic oversight for controversial or significant applications.
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Guidance
National Planning Policy Framework — Green Belt
Under the National Planning Policy Framework (NPPF):
- The fundamental aim of Green Belt policy is to keep land permanently open and to prevent sprawl, merging of settlements, and loss of countryside character. (NPPF, Sections 137–138)
- Inappropriate development in the Green Belt is harmful by definition and should not be approved except in very special circumstances that clearly outweigh the harm. (NPPF Section 139–140)
- Substantial weight should be given to any harm to Green Belt openness. (NPPF Section 143)
This proposal would clearly introduce new buildings and urbanising effects into protected open land, causing permanent loss of openness and harm to the purposes of the Green Belt.
Lack of Very Special or Exceptional Circumstances
Under NPPF, South Bucks Local Plan, and the Neighbourhood Plan, development in the Green Belt requires very special circumstances that clearly outweigh the harm caused. No such case has been made in the planning documents:
- There is no evidence that the housing land supply cannot be met elsewhere.
- Infrastructure impacts (roads, services, schools) remain unmitigated.
- Environmental and landscape harm is not outweighed by demonstrated community need.
South Bucks District Local Plan – Saved Green Belt Policies
The proposal also conflicts with key saved local policies that protect the Green Belt:
- Policy GB1 – Control of Development in Green Belt – states that development will not be permitted except for very limited exceptions that do not apply here (e.g. agriculture, limited infill).
- Policy GB3 – Limited Infilling in Settlements – allows only very small scale infill; a 50-house estate clearly exceeds this.
- Other Green Belt policies collectively safeguard openness and landscape character.
This large-scale residential development is not one of the specified exceptions and therefore conflicts with these policies.
Stoke Poges Neighbourhood Plan — Adopted June 2025
The Stoke Poges Neighbourhood Plan was adopted following a local referendum in June 2025 and is now part of the statutory development plan used to determine planning applications.
Relevant policies include:
- SP9 – Green Infrastructure seeks to establish and protect a coherent network of high-quality green infrastructure, safeguarding open spaces, wildlife corridors, and local biodiversity. Any development that fragments or undermines this network is contrary to the plan.(yourvoicebucks.citizenspace.com)
- SP10 – Local Green Spaces: designates specific Local Green Spaces and states that:
- Development within these areas will only be supported in very special circumstances.
- The policy is aligned with national Green Belt protections and resists development that would undermine the essential character of designated areas.
Although the proposed site itself may not be one of the formally designated Local Green Spaces, it sits within the wider protected green infrastructure and rural setting that the Neighbourhood Plan seeks to conserve.
The plan also highlights that continued protection of Green Belt and green spaces is a community priority and that development should not erode the rural character and identity of Stoke Poges.
Development should relate sensitively to local heritage, topography and reflect, respect and reinforce local architecture.
Specific Design Code Sections of Stoke Poges Neighborhood Plan
The Neighbourhood Plan design code contains specific coded parts that are useful to quote directly if appropriate:
- LB01 – Patterns of Development: Emphasis on preserving local patterns and character.
- LB03 – Preserving and Promoting Local Vernacular / Scale, Massing, Roofscape: Controls over how buildings sit in the landscape and respond to local built form.
- LB04 – Extensions, Conversions and Infills: Standards for respectful additions and infill that don’t erode character.
- AM02 – Parking Typologies: Local approach to parking layouts beyond generic standards.
- LS02 – Wildlife and Biodiversity Measures: Integration of green infrastructure and habitat net gain.
- SF01 / SF02 – Sustainability & Water Management: Encouraging low-energy and SuDS measures built into design.
The proposed development fails to respond positively to the local context and character as set out in the Stoke Poges Design and Guidance Codes (supplementary to the Neighbourhood Plan). These codes require new development to relate sensitively to local heritage, topography, and vernacular architecture, and to respect scale, massing, roofscape, and surrounding built form. The proposed scheme’s layout, scale and design do not align with these local expectations and would erode the distinctive character of Stoke Poges.
The proposed development fails to comply with key local design expectations. The design code stresses that:
- Development should relate sensitively to local character, heritage, topography, and context.
- Development should reinforce or enhance the established character of the settlement.
- Design should reflect, respect, and reinforce local vernacular features wherever practicable.
- Development should respect scale, height, massing and harmony with surrounding buildings.
- Nature-based solutions (e.g., SuDS) and sustainability are integral from the outset.
Green Belt or Grey Belt?
The Government has established 5 golden principles for the use of Green Belt and Grey Belt land, which seek to ensure that development only occurs where it is necessary, sustainable, and in the wider public interest. This application fails:
- Brownfield Land First
National planning policy makes clear that brownfield and previously developed land should be prioritised before any release of Green Belt or Grey Belt land is considered. No clear evidence has been provided to demonstrate that all reasonable brownfield options within the district have been fully explored and exhausted. Approving this application would therefore be premature and contrary to national guidance. - Protection of Openness and Green Belt Purposes
The primary purpose of Green Belt land is to preserve openness, prevent urban sprawl, and maintain the separation between settlements. The proposed development would result in significant loss of open countryside, visual intrusion, and erosion of the rural character of the area. This would undermine the fundamental objectives of Green Belt policy and set a damaging precedent for further encroachment. - Sustainable Location and Infrastructure Capacity
The site is not supported by adequate existing infrastructure to accommodate a development of this scale. Concerns include, but are not limited to:
- Increased pressure on local roads and traffic congestion
- Insufficient public transport provision
- Pressure on schools, healthcare services, and utilities
The proposal does not demonstrate that the development would be genuinely sustainable or that necessary infrastructure would be delivered in a timely and guaranteed manner. - Environmental Protection and Climate Considerations
Green and Grey Belt land often provides important environmental benefits, including biodiversity, flood mitigation, carbon storage, and recreational value. The application does not adequately demonstrate how these environmental functions would be protected or enhanced. The loss of natural habitats and green space conflicts with national and local policies on biodiversity net gain, climate resilience, and environmental sustainability. - Community Benefit and Local Need
Any release of Green Belt or Grey Belt land should deliver clear and exceptional public benefit, addressing genuine local housing need and community priorities. This application does not provide sufficient evidence that the proposed development would deliver an appropriate mix of genuinely affordable housing, community facilities, or long-term social benefit. The scale and nature of the proposal appear driven primarily by commercial interests rather than by identified local needs.
Summary
With the lack of an adopted Local Plan by Buckinghamshire Council, Stoke Poges does not have any pre-set housing targets. Therefore, it is difficult to respond to the many speculative planning applications being received.
The Stoke Poges Neighbourhood Plan has clearly identified areas within the built form of the village where suitable development might take place that is clearly brownfield land or previously developed land, therefore avoiding the need to develop any greenbelt or grey belt sites. This application:
- Fails to prioritise brownfield development
- Undermines Green Belt openness and purpose
- Lacks adequate infrastructure provision
- Risks environmental harm
- Does not demonstrate exceptional public benefit