Buckinghamshire Council

In brief

Buckinghamshire Council is a unitary local authority in England, the area of which comprises most of the ceremonial county of Buckinghamshire. It was created in April 2020 from the areas that were previously administered by Buckinghamshire County Council including the districts of South Bucks, Chiltern, Wycombe and Aylesbury Vale.

The plan for a single unitary authority was proposed by Martin Tett, leader of the county council, and was backed by Communities Secretary James Brokenshire. District councils had also proposed a different plan in which Aylesbury Vale becomes a unitary authority and the other three districts becomes another unitary authority. The district councils opposed the (single) unitary Buckinghamshire plan.

Statutory instruments for a single unitary authority were made on 22 May 2019 and a shadow authority of 202 members was subsequently formed.

The council is based at The Gateway in Aylesbury, the site of the old district council. The new authority came into being on 1 April 2020

What to expect

Housing Delivery Test

As a combined authority no consequence within the 2021 Housing Delivery Test.

Up-To-Date Local Plan

The Combined Buckinghamshire Local Plan is presently being prepared. At this point the Development framework comprises the individual plans from the areas of South Bucks, Chiltern, Wycombe and Aylesbury Vale.

Customer Service

Customer service at Buckinghamshire is poor with officers seeking to rest blame on the failings of the LPA on applicants.

Decision Making Behaviour

Decision making behaviour is inconsistent with established practice. As consultants we have had to provide relevant caselaw and decisions to officers to supplement their own knowledge.

Article 4 Directions

Conservation Areas Only

Preparation underway to remove Class MA across the combined authority area

Nitrate Effected Areas

None

Last Decision’s

• 12 – 13 Market Hill Buckingham Buckinghamshire MK18 1JX – Determination as to whether prior approval is required in respect of transport & highway impact, noise, contamination risk, flooding and locational considerations for the change of use of upper floors from retail storage (class E) to 8 dwellings