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.
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 was the plan developed?
The Parish Council worked with a consultancy firm, and all costs were covered by available grants, minimising the cost to the parish. A team consisting of Parish Councillors and volunteers developed the foundation of the plan, looking at policies and how to formalise them into a working document.
Meet the team who have contributed
- Trevor Egleton, former 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
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. A consultation period called "Regulation 14" was open to residents from 14th September - 26th October 2023.
Buckinghamshire Council ran a consultation on our proposed plan, in advance of an examination. The consultation period ended on 20th June 2024.
Following Buckinghamshire Council's consultation, the proposed plan was submitted to an independent examiner. The examiner considered public comments and ensured the plan meets the basic conditions in the Localism Act and other relevant regulations.
Download: Independent Examiner's Report (PDF, 528 KB)
A village referendum took place on Thursday 26th June 2025, where more than half of those voting voted YES in response to the question: "Do you want Buckinghamshire Council to use the Neighbourhood Plan for Stoke Poges to help it decide planning applications in the neighbourhood area?"
Latest documents
Here are the latest plan and associated documents.
Download: Stoke Poges Neighbourhood Plan - Submission Plan (PDF, 24.4 MB)
Download: Consultation Statement (PDF, 397 KB)
Download: Basic Conditions Statement (PDF, 2.9 MB)
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 if you would like to look at it.
Previous document versions from Regulation 14 Consultation
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)
Download: Stoke Poges Design Guidance and Codes (PDF, 10.4MB) - Updated version