AGT1 Supplementary Planning Document

1 - Introduction

1.1 Introduction

The site, known as South Aylesbury, is a strategic allocated site for Aylesbury, which together with other allocations and commitments contribute to the delivery of the housing requirement identified within the adopted Vale of Aylesbury Local Plan, together with associated infrastructure and facilities.

South Aylesbury is an approximately 95 hectares sustainable extension to Aylesbury being developed on land between the town, to the north, and the village of Stoke Mandeville, to the south. The AGT1 site will integrate with the existing built-up area of Aylesbury whilst maintaining the setting and individual identity of Stoke Mandeville. Wendover Road (A413) forms the boundary to the east, with Lower Road (B4443) to the west of the site. The London Marylebone to Aylesbury Vale Parkway railway line runs north to south through the centre of the site.

Located within Stoke Mandeville Civil Parish the site is situated within Buckinghamshire and therefore falls under the jurisdiction of Buckinghamshire Council ("the Council"), a Unitary Authority.

The Vale of Aylesbury Local Plan 2013-2033 (VALP) sets out the long-term vision and strategic context for promoting and managing growth within the former Aylesbury Vale area of Buckinghamshire until 2033.

Aylesbury is a primary settlement within Buckinghamshire, identified within the Vale of Aylesbury Local Plan as a Strategic Settlement for growth. The strategy contained within the Vale of Aylesbury Local Plan utilises the settlement hierarchy to

localise the most development at the most sustainable locations. Aylesbury Garden Town (comprising Aylesbury town and adjacent parts of surrounding parishes) will grow by 16,207 new dwellings. Taking into account commitments and completions, 3,282 homes are allocated at Aylesbury, with the majority being located within six sites, including South Aylesbury.

The Vale of Aylesbury Local Plan identifies the AGT1 site for the development with the key development and land use requirements being the delivery of at least 1,000 dwellings; a primary school; the South-East Aylesbury Link Road (the "SEALR") and supporting infrastructure including multi-functional Accessible Natural Greenspace Standard (ANGSt) compliant green infrastructure; a local centre and cycling and walking links.

The AGT1 site consists of several parcels of land which are in different ownerships and / or control by developers / promoters.

The parcels are merged to enable a comprehensive, cohesive, and co-ordinated approach to the development of the site as a whole.

Site Location Plan

1.2 Purpose & Role of the Supplementary Planning Document

This masterplan document has been prepared and adopted as a Supplementary Planning Document (SPD) to guide landowners, developers, the public and the local planning authority in respect of environmental, social, economic and design objectives for the site. It has been prepared by Buckinghamshire Council in partnership with the main land promoters, CALA Homes; Lands Improvement

Holdings (LIH); Redrow Homes; and Vanderbilt Strategic and has been informed by consultation with key stakeholders and people in the local community.

The Supplementary Planning Document sets out the broad principles for the site to demonstrate how the policy requirements of the Vale of Aylesbury Local Plan and other supporting adopted policy documents should be implemented. It has been prepared in accordance with the Councils guidance and policies contained with the Vale of Aylesbury Local Plan, including Policy D1 and D-AGT1 which specifically relate to the delivery of Aylesbury Garden Town and South Aylesbury.

It is intended to be a flexible guide to development aimed at establishing development principles to achieve a high level of design and quality of place, reflecting the status of Aylesbury as a Garden Town. The Supplementary Planning Document sets out the guiding context that development will have to have regard to in order to be acceptable, whilst also acting as a plan to inform comprehensive development across the site ensuring that the necessary infrastructure is delivered

Further to Policy D-AGT1 the Supplementary Planning Document sets out a context for new development to ensure that through a series of overarching visions a high quality, distinctive, sustainable, and well-integrated development is achieved.

The masterplan Supplementary Planning Document provides coordination and consistency of approach to the development of the site and its design. It provides the basis for identifying the spatial disposition of the main uses of land and infrastructure to be accommodated on the site together with the main features of the proposed development.

The guidance within this Supplementary Planning Document is adaptable and includes an element of flexibility to allow the development to take account of changing factors such as changes in the housing market, infrastructure requirements/costs, building costs and affordability. The Supplementary Planning Document does not set out a rigid and prescriptive blueprint for the development, but instead sets out a series of key principles and guidance on how the site should be designed and developed. More detailed guidance on urban design and architectural principles will be prepared, if required, as part of the detailed planning permission stage.

The Supplementary Planning Document has been informed by extensive survey work and analysis and has been prepared in accordance with national planning policies and has been subject to the required statutory consultation process. In line with design principles / guidance and the requirements of Policy D-AGT1 the site will provide a high quality built and semi natural environment with 50% ANGSt compliant green infrastructure.

The document, together with the Vale of Aylesbury Local Plan, the Supplementary Planning Document, together with the Stoke Mandeville Neighbourhood Plan (SMNP - which will ultimately form part of the Development Plan once 'made') will be used as the policy basis on which the determination of planning applications relating to the development of the site are made. It will inform the preparation of planning applications, assist the Council when considering proposals, and can be referenced by stakeholders and the local community when viewing and responding to development proposals.

1.3 Vision

The new AGT1 development should complement the context against which the new neighbourhood will emerge; the southern edge of Aylesbury and the northern edge of Stoke Mandeville Village.

However it should also seek to be distinguishable where appropriate in order to establish a clear identity and character for the new neighbourhood.

The objectives for the design of the new community to be established at AGT1 have therefore been established as follows:

IDENTITY

The new AGT1 development should complement the context against which the new neighbourhood will emerge; the southern edge of Aylesbury and the northern edge of Stoke Mandeville Village. However it should also seek to be distinguishable where appropriate in order to establish a clear identity and character for the new neighbourhood.

A landscape buffer should be incorporated within AGT1 to maintain the setting and individual identity of Stoke Mandeville village, whilst also providing pedestrian and cycle access, adding to the network of connected spaces across AGT1 and the wider Garden Town.

CONNECTIVITY

The delivery of AGT1 should seek to improve footpath and cycle links between southern Aylesbury and Stoke Mandeville village, within a movement framework that is integrated with the strategic landscape routes and spaces. The framework should offer a number of options for traversing some of the existing and proposed barriers in the area and be able to accommodate alternative forms of crossings that may come forward in the future once AGT1 has been completed.

LANDSCAPE

The design of AGT1 will be landscape-led to ensure that it responds positively to its existing and future context. Its green infrastructure will build upon existing elements to facilitate sustainable movement and community cohesion, whilst creating a distinctive sense of place.

1.4 Planning Policy Context and Requirements

Whilst other policies from the Local Plan apply, Policy D-AGT1 is specific to the site, allocating approximately 95ha of land south of Aylesbury and within Stoke Mandeville Parish, for the following site-specific requirements:

• A landscape led approach to providing at least 1,000 dwellings and 5 Gypsy and Traveller pitches.
• Safeguarding of land for the South-East Aylesbury Link Road (SEALR).
• Provision of new access points from Wendover Road (A413) and Lower Road (B4443). Access from the SEALR will not be supported unless it can be demonstrated that this would leave a parcel of land inaccessible and incapable of development.
• Provision of public transport and integration of existing public rights of way into the development together with the creation of cycling and walking links.
• Existing vegetation to be retained and existing habitats enhanced where practicable including the creation of linkages with surrounding wildlife assets.
• Provision of 50% multi-functional ANGSt compliant green infrastructure and a buffer between the new development and Stoke Mandeville to maintain its setting and individual character.
• Retention of the Grade II listed Magpie Cottage within an appropriate setting
• Provision of one primary school and associated facilities, together with contributions to secondary school provision and off-site health facilities.
• Provision of a local centre, including parking and a community building.
• The development is to be designed using a sequential approach with drainage designs designed to exceed and accommodate existing surface water flows.
• Surface water and the Aylesbury Arm (Grand Union Canal) should be modelled.

Policy D-AGT1 expects development proposals to demonstrate how they positively contribute to the achievement of the Supplementary Planning Document and the Aylesbury Garden Town Principles as set out in Policy D1 of the Vale of Aylesbury Local Plan.

Stoke Mandeville Parish Council are in the process of producing a Neighbourhood Plan which includes the D-AGT1 allocation area. The Neighbourhood Plan is required to be in general conformity with the Vale of Aylesbury Local Plan, which sets out the requirement for this Supplementary Planning Document to guide development of the land.

1.5 Relationship to & Integration with the Wider AGT

In 2017 Aylesbury was given Garden Town Status and the Aylesbury Garden Town Masterplan was published in July 2020. This document explains how the Aylesbury Garden Town 2050 Vision will be delivered through a comprehensive and co-ordinated town-wide plan. The Aylesbury Garden Town Masterplan is an advisory framework, providing support and guidance further to the policies contained within the Vale of Aylesbury Local Plan (VALP) covering the period to 2033, and the further opportunities, aspirations and ambitions for the Garden Town to 2050.

Within the Aylesbury Garden Town Masterplan is the aspiration to create 'Distinctive Garden Communities' (Chapter 8) of which AGT1 is one. The Masterplan states that:

"The neighbourhoods are to be designed to embody the Garden Town Vision, deliver elements of the town-wide Garden Town projects such as the Gardenway and create exemplary and distinctive living environments".

Aylesbury Garden Town Masterplan

The Vale of Aylesbury Local Plan requires that new housing allocations in Aylesbury Garden Town (combined with existing committed and sites already built) will ensure that 16,207 new dwellings will be provided in Aylesbury between 2013 and 2033. South Aylesbury (D-AGT1) will deliver at least 1,000 of these homes.

The Council published the Aylesbury Garden Town Masterplan in July 2020 which provides an advisory and guidance framework for the delivery of the Aylesbury Garden Town. To accompany the Garden Town Masterplan, an AGT Framework and Infrastructure Supplementary Planning Document details the wider Garden Town phasing and delivery requirements to 2033.

Site D-AGT1 sits between D-AGT2 to the west, and D-AGT4 (including Hampden Fields) to the east. D-AGT4 has been granted planning permission and will connect to the D-AGT1 site via the South-East Aylesbury Link Road roundabout on Wendover Road.

D-AGT2 is separated from the site by development in Stoke Mandeville Parish, but would ultimately be connected via the South West Link Road, the Stoke Mandeville Relief Road and the South-East Aylesbury Link Road junction on Lower Road.

South Aylesbury will create a distinctive, inclusive, sustainable, high quality, successful new community which supports and enhances existing communities and integrates with Aylesbury, Stoke Mandeville, D-AGT2 and

D-AGT4 and adheres to the Council's vision for Aylesbury Garden Town.

1.6 Stoke Mandeville Neighbourhood Plan

The emerging Stoke Mandeville Neighbourhood Plan establishes a number of 'masterplan zones' across the parish that the Council are seeking to be reviewed through forthcoming designs/ applications in a cohesive manner. The AGT1 site falls within the 'Stoke Mandeville Corridor' masterplan zone, and therefore should be reviewed in the context of this area which also includes part of the AGT2 development area.

The first publicly circulated version of the Plan has been consulted upon (Regulation 14 Consultation) with comments requested by the 19 August 2021.

Stoke Mandeville Parish and Corridor Masterplan Zone

1.7 Community and Stakeholder Consultation

The South Aylesbury Supplementary Planning Document has been prepared and informed by technical and stakeholder consultation events. This has taken the form of three Stakeholder Workshops, and a further four Technical Workshops, in addition to extensive engagement with statutory consultees.

The comments and feedback gathered from those events have influenced the final Supplementary Planning Document document. The consultation process is summarised in this section.

Stakeholder Workshops – January to March 2021

Three Stakeholder Workshops were held in January, February, and March 2021. These events had a range of attendees comprising the D-AGT1 principal landowners, Buckinghamshire Council, Stoke Mandeville Neighbourhood Plan Steering Group and Network Rail.

The events focused on the following matters:

• Workshop 1: Site and Contextual analysis, scope of technical evidence base work and opportunities and constraints;
• Workshop 2: Framework proposals – landscape, transport and connectivity, uses and character;
• Workshop 3: Supplementary Planning Document form and content, design principles, concept framework masterplan, infrastructure, and delivery.

Technical Workshops and on-going focused Technical Meetings - April to October 2021

Following completion of the Stakeholder Workshops, four Technical Workshops were held across April and May which took themes and emerging discussions from the Stakeholder Workshops, and explored these further in a more detailed, technical matter. Attendees comprised the D-AGT1 principal landowners, Buckinghamshire Council Officers and Parish Council representatives.

The Technical Workshops were structured around the following programme of work:

• Technical Session 1: Access and Movement.
• Technical Session 2: Landscape, Green & Blue Infrastructure.
• Technical Session 3: Character Areas, Design Principles and Land Uses.
• Technical Session 4: Infrastructure.

1.8 Public Consultation and Response