MP warns plan risks overburdening Aylesbury area
Laura Kyrke-Smith, the Member of Parliament representing Aylesbury, has publicly set out a list of concerns after Buckinghamshire Council opened the final six-week public consultation on its draft Local Plan on 23 July.
In a statement posted to Facebook, the MP said she was particularly troubled by what she described as the “very large developments” proposed close to the villages of Wing and Cheddington, along with what she characterised as lower-than-expected targets for affordable and social housing and a lack of detail about the proposed infrastructure and services that would support the new homes.
Pressure on Aylesbury and surrounding villages
Kyrke-Smith highlighted a disparity she regards as potentially unfair: Aylesbury and the towns and villages nearby, which she says account for around 20% of Buckinghamshire’s existing population, are being asked to accommodate in excess of 30% of the county’s planned housing growth.
She argued this allocation is particularly sensitive given what she described as the area having already taken a heavy share of past development.
Concerns about timing and previous plans
The MP accused Buckinghamshire Council of having effectively “sat on its hands” for six years, a delay she says forced Government intervention to set a housing target and a deadline for producing the Local Plan. Kyrke-Smith also said many villages had produced Neighbourhood Plans which she believes should have been given greater weight sooner by the council.
“It is right and necessary that Buckinghamshire plays its part in delivering the homes of the future,” she said, while insisting the distribution of that housing must be fair to local communities.
Housing delivery versus local needs
Although she criticised aspects of the draft, Kyrke-Smith described the Government’s national housebuilding programme as “right and necessary”, and said it was important Buckinghamshire contributes to meeting housing needs so that young people have the opportunity to rent or buy locally.
The MP said she will publish a formal submission to the consultation in August and pledged to continue working with residents while preparing her response during the remainder of the consultation period.
- Main concerns: scale of developments near Wing and Cheddington; affordable and social housing targets; lack of infrastructure clarity.
- Timing: MP says council delayed for six years, prompting Government to set targets and deadlines.
- Next steps: final six-week consultation; MP to publish formal submission in August.
What the consultation means locally
The council describes this consultation as the last opportunity for residents to comment before the draft is submitted for independent examination. For Aylesbury residents — many of whom balance concerns about local services with pressures on commuting, schools and healthcare — the consultation will be a focal point for debate about where new homes should be built and how they will be served by roads, public transport and utilities.
| Item | Detail |
|---|---|
| Consultation opened | 23 July (six-week period) |
| MP action | Formal submission to be published in August |
| Local population share | Aylesbury area ~20% of county population |
| Planned housing share | MP states >30% of county growth directed to Aylesbury area |
Residents, parish councils and developers now have a short window to scrutinise the proposals and press the council for clearer commitments on affordable housing, social housing provision and the infrastructure needed to support growth. The political and planning debate that follows will determine whether the draft plan is adjusted before it heads to independent examination — and it will shape the pattern of development across Buckinghamshire for years to come.
