Planning applications at Sefton Business Park
The Parish Council has received notification of two planning applications
18th March 2026
The Parish Council has received notification of the following two planning applications. We feel it is important to inform residents and encourage everyone to review and respond to the proposal if they wish to do so.
This is likely to be one of the largest planning applications affecting the village since the 1970s/1980s, so it represents an important moment for the community.
The Parish Council is aware that the Government is currently proposing changes to national planning policy, including potential reforms relating to Green Belt land and the introduction of the concept of 'Grey Belt'. These proposals may have implications across Buckinghamshire in the future. However, it is important to stress that until any changes are formally adopted into law and reflected in the Development Plan, existing national and local planning policies continue to apply.
The Government is also consulting on changes to how larger planning applications (including those over 150 homes) are determined. Under proposed reforms, certain decisions could be reviewed or determined at national level if a Local Planning Authority is minded to refuse an application. These proposals have not yet come into force.
The Parish Council will carefully consider the application and provide a formal response based on current policy. Residents are encouraged to review the plans and submit their views directly to Buckinghamshire Council within the consultation period.
If you object to a planning application it is important to make your views known to Buckinghamshire Council via their planning portal. Please copy the Parish Council in to your objection with the following email address: theclerk@stokepogesparishcouncil.gov.uk - comments need to be submitted by 10th April.
Do not copy and paste identical objections as they will only count as one objection. Do not feel the need to quote policies that you may find confusing but the essence of the policy is sufficient.
We would like to reassure you that our Parish Councillors (all volunteers) are doing all that they can - which is taking many hours - to keep up and understand the Government's proposals and their effect on our village.
Parish Council objections
PL/26/01820/OA (Outline Application) For 317 Dwellings
PL/26/01820/OA (Outline application) for 317 Dwellings and 350m2 of commercial floorspace
The Parish Council objects to these outline applications, which seeks to establish the principle, scale, and extent of development on the site.
NPPF 2023 (National Policies):
Section 2: Achieving Sustainable Development
Section 5: Delivering a Sufficient Supply of Homes (but does not override Green Belt protection)
Section 8: Promoting Healthy & Safe Communities
Section 9: Promoting Sustainable Transport
Section 12: Achieving Well-Designed Places/ Delivering a Sufficient Supply of Homes
Section 13: Protecting Green Belt Land
Section 38(6) – Planning and Compulsory Purchase Act 2004
Policy NE16 (in the Buckinghamshire Council emerging local plan)
GB 1& 2 Core Policy 9 (Buckinghamshire Council local policies)
Policy SP4 and SP12 (Stoke Poges Neighbourhood Plan)
Whilst the Parish Council acknowledges that approximately 12–12.5 acres of the site (the existing Business Park) has previously been identified in its Neighbourhood Plan as having some potential for development, and may be considered suitable for limited, small-scale housing (potentially as grey belt), this does not extend to the remaining approximately 21–21.5 acres of designated Green Belt. Development across this area would result in a significant and permanent loss of openness, one of the fundamental purposes of Green Belt designation as set out in Section 13 of the National Planning Policy Framework (NPPF).
As this is an outline application, the inclusion of this Green Belt land establishes the principle of development across the full extent of the site at this stage. The proposal therefore constitutes inappropriate development in the Green Belt, which is, by definition, harmful and should not be approved except in very special circumstances. No such circumstances have been demonstrated that would clearly outweigh the harm.
The scale and massing implied by up to 317 dwellings is also a matter for determination at outline stage. This level of development cannot reasonably be described as limited or proportionate and would fundamentally alter the spatial character of the site, eroding the distinction between settlement and countryside. The proposal is therefore contrary to the NPPF and conflicts with emerging Buckinghamshire Local Plan Policy NE16 (Protection of the Green Belt).
Scale, Sustainability and Spatial Strategy
While the site benefits from some proximity to existing village infrastructure and a limited bus service, accessibility alone does not justify development of this magnitude. The proposed scheme of up to 317 dwellings, established at outline stage, is wholly excessive for a Tier 4 settlement and conflicts with the Buckinghamshire spatial strategy, which directs only limited and proportionate growth to such villages.
This level of development would represent a substantial and unsustainable expansion of the settlement, placing significant pressure on already constrained services and infrastructure. Stoke Poges is a heritage-rich, landscape-defined settlement that forms part of a wider network of villages contributing to the identity and integrity of the northern arc. Its character, setting, and functional role are material considerations, and growth must be proportionate to these factors.
The cumulative impact must also be considered at this stage. The identified allocation at Home Farm (OPUS 4592 SP002), if progressed, would already introduce significant growth. The concurrent delivery of both sites would result in clear overdevelopment, materially increasing the size and density of the village beyond its historic and infrastructural capacity. This along with PL/25/4588/PIP and PL/25/4571/PIP for 5 and 7 houses respectively that has been granted at Magnolia Farm would have a serious negative cumulative affect, please note that Magnolia Farm has been identified as unsuitable for development in the recent HELLA so the granting of this site is in direct conflict with Buckinghamshire Councils own recommendation.
Housing Mix and Neighbourhood Plan Conflict
The Stoke Poges Neighbourhood Plan sets out a clear vision for achieving a balanced and sustainable community. It identifies the need not simply for housing growth, but for the right type and mix of housing to meet local needs.
Potential Development should be given to smaller homes, including two- and three-bedroom properties, bungalows, and accessible homes suitable for downsizing, alongside genuinely affordable housing for younger residents and first-time buyers. This approach supports intergenerational balance, enables downsizing within the village, and reduces pressure on infrastructure.
At outline stage, the scale of development drives the delivery model and viability assumptions of the scheme. A development of this magnitude is likely to be market-led and risks being dominated by larger, higher-value housing. Such an approach would skew the demographic profile of the village and undermine the objectives of the Neighbourhood Plan. Housing mix is therefore a material consideration, and the proposal fails to demonstrate alignment with locally identified need.
Infrastructure Constraints and Capacity
The proposal fails to demonstrate that adequate infrastructure exists, or can be delivered, to support development of this scale, contrary to the requirements of the NPPF.
Crucially, as an outline application, the quantum of development fixes the level of impact arising from the scheme, and these impacts cannot be resolved through reserved matters.
Primary Healthcare
Local GP services are already operating at or beyond capacity, with residents experiencing significant delays in accessing appointments. There is no clear or secured provision for additional healthcare infrastructure, staffing, or facilities to accommodate the proposed growth. Without guaranteed and phased improvements, the impact on primary care would be unsustainable.
Parking and Village Centre Capacity
The village centre suffers from a chronic shortage of parking, with existing provision oversubscribed. This results in congestion, unsafe parking practices, pavement parking, destruction of grass verges and reduced accessibility. Additional housing would significantly exacerbate these issues, with no realistic opportunity for meaningful mitigation.
Highways and Traffic Impact
The local road network is constrained and not designed to accommodate substantial increases in traffic. Additional vehicle movements arising from the scale of development fixed at outline stage would result in increased congestion, reduced highway safety (particularly for pedestrians and school children), and adverse impacts on air quality and noise levels. There is insufficient evidence that severe residual cumulative impacts can be avoided.
Unsustainable Transport Patterns
Public transport provision is limited and unreliable, with infrequent bus services that do not provide a viable alternative to private car use. As a result, the development would reinforce car dependency, contrary to the NPPF’s objectives of promoting sustainable transport.
Conclusion
It is important to emphasise that this outline application seeks to establish the principle, scale, and extent of development. The fundamental harms identified, particularly the loss of Green Belt land, the excessive scale of development, and the resulting infrastructure impacts are matters of principle and cannot be addressed through reserved matters.
In summary, whilst the Parish Council recognises that a limited form of development on the Business Park element of the site may be acceptable in principle, the inclusion of extensive Green Belt land and the excessive scale of up to 317 dwellings render the proposal unacceptable.
The development:
- Constitutes inappropriate development in the Green Belt with no very special circumstances demonstrated
- Conflicts with Buckinghamshire Local Plan Policy NE16 and the NPPF
- Represents disproportionate and unsustainable growth established at outline stage
- Fails to align with the Stoke Poges Neighbourhood Plan
- Would result in significant and demonstrable harm to infrastructure, character, and village identity
- Section 38(6) – Must determine in accordance with the Development Plan
- Development Plan includes Local Plan + Neighbourhood Plan
- Green Belt harm carries substantial weight under NPPF Section 13
- Inappropriate development is harmful by definition
- Very Special Circumstances test not met
- Infrastructure impacts must be assessed at point of permission
- Outline permission fixes scale and quantum now
When these factors are combined, the proposal results in:
- Clear policy conflict
- Significant Green Belt harm
- Infrastructure inadequacy
- Disproportionate settlement growth
- Failure to demonstrate sustainable development