On Wednesday night AVDC Tory councilors voted down a motion intended to strengthen the new Aylesbury Vale plan against speculative development.
The motion, proposed by Lib Dem Cllr Avril Davies, requested that “cabinet re examine its resources and find a means to consult on the principles of the lower tier allocations in the Local Development Framework while simultaneously working on options on the detailed allocations for consultation as soon as possible”
The motion was submitted in December, but because council meetings were long ago reduced in number by the administration, and by convention no motions are discussed at the 4th Feb budget meeting, it was not brought to Council until 25th February, nearly three months later.

In the intervening period applications have been made for three speculative large scale developments in the Vale, and a fourth one is advertising its pre-planning exhibition, proving the motion was no mere shroud waving, but that the weaknesses in the LDF process are already tempting property consortia to look outside the planning framework for opportunities.

The plans for Buckingham, Winslow, Wendover, Haddenham and the villages are not at such an advanced stage as Aylesbury. No actual numbers and sites are yet being proposed, but changes have been made to the original draft.

Lib Dem councillors feel that the planning process would have been stronger if a formal consultation had been run, preferably at the same time as the second Aylesbury one, or in parallel with the next stage, to refine and test the arguments for the final allocation proposals, which seem destined to go straight to the final inspector stage instead of back to AVDC for amendment and decision.

The Tories chose to vote against the motion on the spurious grounds that its intention was to delay the process and jeopardise AVDC’s power to decide its own plans. In fact, the proposals did not need any additional time, but they did need additional resources.

Cllr Avril Davies said ‘I am very disappointed but not a bit surprised that my attempt to give this matter a proper airing was treated as a political stunt and not given the consideration it deserved. The local plan has been seriously delayed already by what some think was a Tory political decision to consult on the eastern arc after completing the consultation on the southern arc. That used up all the resources available and, as a result, other areas have not had a fair crack of the whip.

It feels as if every proposed new estate in Aylesbury has been fought over, on paper, two or three times, but in Buckingham or Winslow there just won’t be the same chances to argue it out. It’s certainly a weakness, I hope it isn’t a fatal one’.

Notes for editors
The Liberal Democrat Motion was as follows:

MOTION TO AYLESBURY VALE DISTRICT COUNCIL.

This Council is concerned that the LDF process, as currently being undertaken by AVDC, will leave rural areas of Aylesbury Vale vulnerable to speculative large scale development, supported by opportunistic government intervention.

In particular, Council believes that it is necessary urgently to discuss the implications of the revisions of the core strategy for the rural areas in the absence of further consultation of the rural population.

Council notes that we have already had one ‘scare’ over eco-towns, and the decision to allocate by % only into the rural hierarchy may leave rural areas exposed to unplanned large scale development in view of the non specific nature of the approach to allocation at this stage of the framework and the now extended timescale for completion.

Council accepts that this approach may increase the numbers of small windfall developments (as in the past infill projects of up to 5 houses made up a significant proportion of the rural allocation) but believes that the downside is the risk of major development such as the so-called eco towns or villages.

Council notes that, since consultation was completed in 2007, two major revisions of the core strategy have taken place. Firstly, the Aylesbury Eastern Arc proposal is being consulted on. Secondly, although the review of the allocations to the remaining tiers was supported in principle by the Environment Scrutiny committee, it has caused concern outside the council as there is to be no consultation.

Council understands extending the time scale would leave the Vale vulnerable to speculative development, but of consultation was being carried out, the risk would have been reduced by the corresponding strengthening of the framework by having undertaken consultation. Had this taken place the Council may have had the consultation responses – and in the very fact of having consulted, whatever the outcome – a stronger defence against any possible developments that may attempt to ride roughshod over existing retained AVDLP policies and the emerging LDF.

Council believes that it is in a lose-lose situation with no public input into this stage of the rural areas allocations.

Council urges the Cabinet to re-examine its resources and find the means to consult on the principles of the lower tier allocations in the LDF, while simultaneously working on options on the detailed allocations for consultation, as soon as possible.

Proposed by Avril Davies
Seconded by Corry Cashman

• Local Development Framework, directions of growth is due to be discussed at AVDC Cabinet on 10th March 2009. The cabinet will make a recommendation to the full AVDC council and will be debated on 29th April 2009.