Archived press release

Date Published: 23/07/08

The district will be required to provide 26,890 homes by 2026

Aylesbury Vale District Council has cautiously welcomed the government’s review of the draft South East Plan.

The district will be required to provide 26,890 homes by 2026, the same amount recommended by an independent panel of inspectors nearly a year ago, which is an increase of 5,700 from the original 2006 draft plan.

The government wants to see 16,800 homes built around Aylesbury, 5,390 homes to the south west of Milton Keynes and 4,700 homes in the rest of the district.

Under the proposals affordable housing will make up 35 per cent of the Vale’s total housing provision. There is also support for a one to one balance of jobs and homes.

Councillor Carole Paternoster, Cabinet Member for Strategic Planning, said: “We welcome the fact that the government has retained the growth figures put forward by the independent examination panel. We also welcome the fact that the government is asking us to plan for at least as many jobs as homes, something we have continued to ask for throughout the process.

“We recognise that we will have to play our part in delivering the growth which has been assigned to us, including the 5,390 homes to the south west of Milton Keynes, within our district. We need to ensure that this is done in a way which will preserve the integrity of Newton Longville and avoid coalescence with Milton Keynes. In order to do this we will need to work closely with the Milton Keynes Partnership and Aylesbury Vale Advantage to make sure the necessary infrastructure is delivered, but at the same time giving protection and certainty to the residents of Newton Longville and of other villages in the north of the Vale.

“The document published by the government was a long and complex one and we will be going through it carefully before we make our detailed response, to make sure that the interests of the residents and businesses within Aylesbury Vale are protected.”