Key Themes
Enough Housing for Future Generations
Government requires us to ensure that the housing targets in the South East Plan and our Core Strategy are delivered in the district. Our work
over the past few years has resulted in lots more homes than we expected being built between 2006 and 2008, meaning that our strategic
annual requirement can now come down slightly. But we still have to find enough sites for at least 380 homes each year up to 2026 for future
generations to live in and to help cut homelessness. Most (340) are to be in the southern portion of the district with 40 in the north.
Twenty-four of these 40 have to be in Princes Risborough.
This plan pinpoints sites for these homes for the next ten years, and also identifies six greenfield
sites for possible housing and other development for the future. (See pages 6-7).
Despite falling house prices, we know that there is still not enough affordable housing in the area.
Our Core Strategy is now asking developers to provide 30% or 40% affordable housing on all sites
of 15 houses or more (and the same percentages on smaller sites in rural areas), and 40% in some
cases.
A Helping Hand for our Town Centres
The global economic downturn has had an impact everywhere and, sadly, Wycombe District has not been
immune from it. All three town centres in the district have suffered increased levels of empty shops over the
past few months. We have analysed how we can help deal with this, and our approach is to provide a clear
strategy for the future, but to be flexible with potential new uses where we can, whilst not undermining the
overall shopping role of the towns.
Marlow
In Marlow, we need to make sure we meet the town’s identified need for more food shopping. We are now asking you whether we may require
another site to do this, in addition to Riley Road.
Princes Risborough
In Princes Risborough, we need to plan for at least 24 new homes a year up to 2026. Much of this (up to 2021) can be provided on brownfield
sites within the town. We want to know whether, after 2021, we should assume other brownfield sites will come forward to meet housing
targets, or whether we should allocate one of the following greenfield sites:
• Park Mill Farm
• North of Longwick Road
• Rear of Poppy Road
…or whether you think we can meet our housing targets in another way.
We aren’t planning any changes to town centre policy in Princes Risborough, but we do know that some of the shops here have fallen on hard
times. We think our current policies provide enough flexibility to deal with this but if you think changes are needed, please let us know.
Helping Businesses Plan for Growth: Regeneration
Local agents are confident that High Wycombe is well-placed to come out of the current recession as a result of the recent and current flagship
developments like Eden, Bucks New University and Sainsbury’s. They also support our view that more key sites in the town centre are needed
for business. We have looked at protecting and promoting the right amount of land for business in Marlow, Princes Risborough and our rural
areas.
We have therefore outlined a strategy in this plan outlining which sites should be delivering business development to aid regeneration over the
period to 2026. These sites include:
Short-Term Employment Sites
Longer-Term Possible Employment Sites
o
Handy Cross
o
Swan Frontage
o
Cressex Island
o
Bridge St (HW)
o
Compair
o
Baker St (HW)
o
De La Rue
o
Abbey Barn South
o
Picts Lane (P. Risborough)
o
Gomm Valley
o
Changes within Cressex Business Park
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