The planning enquiry into the proposed development of 175 dwellings between Little Horwood Road and Shipton will start at 10.00am on 7th December at, The Oculus, The Gateway, Gatehouse Road, Aylesbury, HP19 8FF. The previous application for this site was refused and the Town Council and AVDC continue to oppose the proposals despite some amendments by the developer.
Before the enquiry concludes the Planning Inspector must receive details of what conditions AVDC would apply and what community benefits the applicant would provide IF he were to grant permission. We understand that Gladman Developments are proposing a package which has an estimated value of around £3,000.000 and includes the following.
£1 million (est) contribution for Secondary Education (This goes to the County Council – not Winslow)
£100k contribution to the Primary Care Trust for improvements to Winslow’s health centre and Norden House surgery£500k towards a new Community Centre (This would add to the £600+k that the Banner Homes development will deliver)
£100k for traffic calming in Elmfields Gate, Magpie Way and at Shipton hamlet. (subject to a residents survey) £100k in contributions for Library and Adult Education provision (again this would go to Bucks County Council – not Winslow)There would also be a play area and youth shelter on the development, and a contribution to future on-site landscape maintenance.This is an attractive package of potential benefits for the town and would go some way to off-set the impact of the development if permission is given. However, residents have made it clear that they do not wish to see more major development and in any event this is not a suitable site. Little Horwood Road forms a clear boundary to the East of Winslow and we are concerned that if permission were granted here then we could be faced with more applications for development right up to the railway line.
The Town Council have over £600,000 to come in ‘off-site leisure contribution’ from Banner Homes in respect of the Verney Road Development and this, together with a possible £500,000 if the Shipton development were given permission would cover the basic cost of a new, purpose built community centre. With a potential 20% increase in the size of the town there is no doubt that a new purpose built facility would be a real benefit to the community. However, even if the offer was for twice as much it still wouldn’t; change the basic planning issue and that is that development beyond Little Horwood road would constitute ‘development in the open countryside’.
If the Planning Inspector decides to approve the application we will have to ensure that all of the proposed community benefits are actually delivered.