Local plans

Decisions on planning applications must by law be made in accordance with the relevant development plans (which includes local plans and neighbourhood plans), unless there are very good reasons not to. Local plans (which include separate plans for general development and for minerals and waste operations) are prepared by local planning authorities (district or unitary and county councils – see below for more details).

Other planning and development decisions are also required to take local (and neighbourhood) plans into account.

Unitary and county councils also prepare local transport plans, which make provision for local transport infrastructure (such as roads, cycleways, etc.) and also how that infrastructure is used and allocated between different users (cars, buses, cycles, etc.).

Our main concern is to ensure that local plans and local transport plans take sufficient account of the need to conserve and enhance the Chilterns AONB in their aims, objectives, policies and specific development proposals.

We assess whether the overall scale of development proposed and the location and design of development proposals are all consistent with national planning policies for protected landscapes, and will help to deliver the objectives of the Chilterns AONB Management Plan.

In particular, we promote the inclusion of our model development plan policy for the Chilterns AONB, and that reference is made to the Chilterns Buildings Design Guide (preferably recognising the Guide as supplementary planning guidance).

With regard to local transport plans, working with the Chiltern Society we have developed a joint approach to transport planning in the Chilterns, and we encourage transport authorities to continue to adhere to our Environmental Guidelines for the Design and Management of Highways in the Chilterns.

We are working on a comprehensive guide to local plans in the Chilterns, including whether each one reflects our principal concerns. Watch this space for further details.

The local planning authorities producing local plans across the designated area of the Chilterns, and immediately adjacent to it, currently are:

• Oxfordshire County Council: minerals and waste local plans; local transport plan.
• South Oxfordshire District Council: local plan.
• Buckinghamshire Council: local plan; minerals and waste local plans; local transport plan.
• Central Bedfordshire Council: local plan; minerals and waste local plans; local transport plan.
• Luton Borough Council: local plan; minerals and waste local plans; local transport plan.
• Hertfordshire County Council: minerals and waste local plans; local transport plan.
• Dacorum Borough Council: local plan.
• North Hertfordshire District Council: local plan.
• Three Rivers District Council: local plan.
• Reading Borough Council: local plan; minerals and waste local plans; local transport plan.
• West Berkshire Council: local plan; minerals and waste local plans; local transport plan.
• Wokingham Borough Council: local plan; minerals and waste local plans; local transport plan.
• Royal Borough of Windsor and Maidenhead: local plan; minerals and waste local plans; local transport plan.