Aylesbury Vale Area Design Supplementary Planning Document

Figure 1.3: Aylesbury Vale Context Plan

1.3.1 Aylesbury Vale is a rural area set in beautiful countryside and benefiting from good access to London. The south-eastern part of the area is set within the Chilterns Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty (AONB) and almost a third is locally designated landscape.

1.3.2 The area is located between the M40 and M1 motorways and with Oxford, Banbury and Bicester to the west and Milton Keynes to the east but despite its proximity to London many parts of the area are sparsely populated and experience 'dark skies' at night.

1.3.3 Aylesbury is by far the largest settlement within the area, with over 40% of the population living there. It is also the county town of Buckinghamshire. Aylesbury was awarded Garden Town status by the Government in January 2017. The area has over 80 other settlements of varying sizes with Buckingham, Haddenham, Wendover and Winslow the largest and each providing local facilities that serve the surrounding rural areas. Many of the settlements in the area are attractive and historic.

1.3.4 Aylesbury Vale is experiencing pressure for growth with the VALP setting a housing provision of over 30,000 homes in the period up to 2033 to meet the needs of Aylesbury Vale as well as unmet needs from Wycombe, Chiltern and South Bucks districts. This housing growth is concentrated in sustainable locations with the majority of homes focused in Aylesbury Garden Town, to the north in the vicinity of Milton Keynes and a smaller proportion in Buckingham, Winslow, Wendover and Haddenham (strategic settlements).

1.3.5 This is supported by growth at other larger and medium sized villages and with Neighbourhood Plans identifying housing growth in smaller settlements.

1.3.6 Significant employment growth is also planned with over 100 hectares of employment land identified predominantly around Aylesbury but also close to Milton Keynes in north east Aylesbury Vale. The area benefits from three sites with Enterprise Zone status at Silverstone Park, Westcott and Woodlands each focusing on different high growth sectors.

1.3.7 These new homes and jobs provide opportunities for the area, helping to sustain its towns and villages and improve their economic performance, but also present challenges.

1.3.8 The area contains many environmental designations which influence where development may take place and it is important that change does not erode the essentially rural character of the area, its rich heritage and the historic and distinctive character of its towns and rural settlements.

1.3.9 There are also a number of strategic infrastructure proposals that could both impact on the character of parts of the area but also improve accessibility. These are:

• High Speed 2 (HS2) which will, extend north-south through the area and provide a rapid rail connection from London to Birmingham; and
• East West Rail (EWR) which seeks to re-establish the former Varsity line east-west across the area and will include a new station at Winslow and a spur route connecting to Aylesbury. Phase 1 is open from Oxford to Bicester with the second section to Bedford planned for completion in 2024 and options for a further extension to Cambridge and beyond coming forward.

1.4.1 The importance of design quality is intrinsic to national planning policy with a clear mandate within the National Planning Policy Framework (NPPF) to deliver high quality built environments.

1.4.2 Good design can help transform places and enhance people's lives. The orientation and height of buildings; the materiality, enclosure and sunlight within a public space and the presence or absence of trees and planting in a street or space can have a profound impact on people's wellbeing and mental health. Good design and introduction of green infrastructure in particular can also improve the environment, reducing the carbon footprint, air pollution and overheating in summer, and improving water quality and management.

1.4.3 Research by the Commission for Architecture and the Built Environment (CABE) and the Royal Institute of British Architects (RIBA) and national guidance, including the Urban Design Compendium, have all demonstrated the link between good design and improved quality of life, equality of opportunity and economic growth.

1.4.4 As an example:

• A well designed hospital will help patients get better more quickly;
• A well designed school will improve the educational achievement of its pupils;
• A well designed park will improve health and well being;
• A well designed public realm increases retail rents;
• A well designed department store will have a direct impact on stock turnover; and
• A well designed neighbourhood will benefit from lower crime and increased value.

1.4.5 Good design is about more than just the architecture and in Aylesbury Vale we are looking to create high quality places that meet the needs of the whole community with streets and spaces that are accessible for everyone, that function well and improve the quality of life.

1.4.6 Good design from the outset, in accordance with the principles contained within this Design SPD, is likely to smooth the planning process. Pre-application discussions and Planning Performance Agreements can also assist this process.

1.4.7 The council celebrates projects which make an outstanding contribution to the design quality of the built environment in the area through annual design awards. These awards have been running for over 25 years and showcase good design of both small and larger developments including new build, building conversion and building refurbishment.

1.5 High quality design and innovation

1.5.1 The aim of this SPD is to inspire designers to rise to the challenge of delivering high quality, well designed buildings, streets and spaces that are in keeping with their environment and respond to the challenge of delivering sustainable development.

1.5.2 Designers are encouraged to be inventive and innovative; to prepare proposals that respond to place, that meet the needs of modern lifestyles and that are adaptable in the future. Contemporary solutions of high architectural quality that deliver outstanding places are welcomed and encouraged where they respond to and maintain or enhance their context.

1.5.3 This Design SPD is intended to be a design manual and a working tool. It is intended for frequent reference and will be essential for anyone charged with preparing or assessing the quality of planning applications.

1.5.4 Compliance with the Design SPD will help to speed up the planning process by reducing the chance of objections due to poor design.

1.5.5 This draft document is subject to a formal 6 week period of public consultation between XXXX to XXXX with statutory consultees, developers and the local community. Following consultation there will be a review of the feedback received and where appropriate changes will be made to the Design SPD.

1.5.6 The Design SPD will be adopted by the council and as such will be a material consideration in determining planning applications submitted to the council. Having been subject to scrutiny and amendment through a public consultation process, the SPD will carry weight in decision making.

Additional useful and interesting resources:

• Paved with gold: The real value of good street design (CABE, 2007)
• By Design, Urban design in the planning system: Towards better practice (DETR and CABE, 2000)
• The value of good design (CABE, 2002)
• The value of urban design (CABE and DETR, 2001)
• Valuing Sustainable Urbanism (Prince’s Foundation, Savills and English Partnerships, 2007)
• Public Health England briefing for local authorities - Working together to promote active travel (2016)
• Building the foundations - tackling obesity through planning and development (LGA, 2016)