At the Parish Council’s 5th November meeting the consensus was that Wycombe District Council’s Task and Finish Group’s recommendations were to be welcomed, particularly those to protect the Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty and that the Saunderton Local Area Action Plan be abandoned in favour of the Parish Council’s Neighbourhood Plan. The Group’s recommendations will be referred to Wycombe District Council’s Cabinet for consideration at a meeting on 16th November 2015 when the final decision could be made.
Wycombe District Council’s Task and Finish Group’s recommendations:
RECOMMENDATION 1
The principle of established national planning policy of protecting the Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty and Green Belt must be upheld to safeguard the very purpose of the AONB.
Reasons for this recommendation
To protect the outstanding quality of the environment it serves.
RECOMMENDATION 2
That the Saunderton Local Area Action Plan be abandoned in favour of the Neighbourhood Plan and additional resources made available to support the Parish Council to facilitate its production and delivery in the relevant timeframe of the emerging Local Plan.
Reasons for this recommendation
To allow the local community to have a pro-active role in shaping their surroundings with succinct local and neighbourhood planning in line with Section 155 in ‘Plan-Making, Local Plans’ of the NPPF; “Early and meaningful engagement and collaboration with neighbourhoods, local organisations and businesses is essential. A wide section of the community should be proactively engaged, so that Local Plans, as far as possible, reflect a collective vision and a set of agreed priorities for the sustainable development of the area, including those contained in any neighbourhood plans that have been made.”
RECOMMENDATION 3
Upper tier authorities be encouraged to have a duty to guarantee that provision be made for additional infrastructure so as to address any increase in population within the Parish of Bledlow-cum-Saunderton.
Reasons for this recommendation
In order to address concerns this would apply to local, regional and national authorities e.g. road, rail and flooding.
RECOMMENDATION 4
That there be a local plan policy to incorporate supported living with individual dwellings and communal amenities to count towards housing numbers.
Reasons for this recommendation
To meet the needs of the existing ageing population.
RECOMMENDATION 5
That mixed use developments be actively encouraged within the Parish of Bledlow-cum-Saunderton.
Reasons for this recommendation
This would encourage sustainability as residential and light industrial development would advantage the area.
RECOMMENDATION 6
No street lighting to be permitted on new developments in Saunderton and the wider Parish, in line with AONB policy.
Reasons for this recommendation
In line with Paragraph 116 of the National Planning Policy Framework that any development would have a detrimental effect on the environment and landscape as it would significantly change the character of Saunderton.
The Task and Finish Group’s full report can be found here.