Neighbourhood Plan
Developing a shared vision for our neighbourhood
Neighbourhood planning is a way for communities to have a say in the future of the places where they live and work. It gives us the power to produce a plan with legal weight that directs development in our local area. It will help to identify where we want new development to be located and have a say on what development should look like. This document will seek to set out planning policies for Stoke Poges and protect local green spaces, encourage better spaces and bring forward housing that genuinely meets local needs.
Our progress
The work undertaken to gather information to form the basis of this plan has been taking place since 2020. The plan responds to feedback from residents concerning planning matters, lack of suitable housing and preserving our surrounding green spaces, while planning for the future. The Parish Council agreed the final draft on 11th September 2023.
Timeline for next steps
14th September - 26th October 2023: Consultation period called "Regulation 14" open to residents.
The draft plan
Download: Stoke Poges Neighbourhood Plan - Pre-submission Plan (PDF, 18.4MB)
Download: Strategic Environmental Assessment (SEA) for the Stoke Poges Neighbourhood Plan (PDF, 1.2MB)
Please note that these are very large files and could take some time to download - please be patient and try to avoid clicking the links multiple times.
There is also a hard copy available to read at the Parish Office. Please call 01753 644803 to arrange a convenient time.
Your opinion is important
Please let us know what you think, either by email or in writing, to the Parish Clerk.
Once the draft has been amended and/or agreed it is examined by an external examiner. The next stage will be a village referendum. The dates for these will be determined shortly.
Background information
What is a Neighbourhood Plan?
A neighbourhood plan is a key part of the Government's localism agenda for Parish Councils to develop a shared vision for their neighbourhood. Its aims are to give communities greater power to shape development by taking a more active role in the formation of planning policies at a local level - to choose where they may want new homes, what they should look like and the type of housing to meet their community's current and emerging needs.
It gives local people a chance to create a planning document that guides and shapes all types of development in their local area. It is written by the local community, the people who know and love their area, not the remote Buckinghamshire Council.
An adopted plan is a formal statutory document that is additional to, and not a replacement for, the emerging Buckinghamshire Local Plan..
What can it influence?
- The planning of new homes to meet local needs.
- A powerful tool to ensure the community gets the right types of development in the right places.
- Style and materials used in planning applications.
- Traffic management measures.
- Identify where impacts can be minimised.
- Safe walking routes.
- Continued protection of Green Belt.
What do we want to achieve?
- Protect sensitive landscapes and avoid harm to biodiversity.
- Protect characteristics that set us aside from neighbouring urban areas.
- Ensure that current listed and heritage buildings and areas are protected and not harmed by new developments.
- Identify buildings of designated interest so they are protected from demolition and development.
- Identify and minimise impact to our lanes and residential roads from through traffic.
- Preserve and enhance community facilities.
- Encourage appropriate commercial and retail sites where we want them to be located and contribute to the local economy.
- Identify gaps in the Green Belt that are strategic in protecting our boundaries.
What could happen if we don't?
We are vulnerable to developers using national planning policies to force development onto our community so that they can maximise their profits.
Without a Buckinghamshire Local Plan in place the only way we can have an impact on planning applications is by having an adopted Neighbourhood Plan.
How is the plan is being developed?
The Parish Council is working with a consultancy firm, and all costs have been covered by available grants, minimising the cost to the parish. A team consisting of Parish Councillors and volunteers has been developing the foundation of the plan, looking at policies and how to formalise them into a working document.
Meet the team who have contributed so far
- Trevor Egleton, Buckinghamshire Councillor and former Parish Councillor
- Saera Carter BEM, Parish Councillor
- Mary Crocker, Parish Councillor
- Lee Duncombe, resident
- Rich Huckle, resident
- Bob Crocker, resident
- Harvey Whittam, Chairman of Stoke Poges Historical Society and resident
- Sally Mackey, resident