Core Strategy Development Plan Document

The South Bucks Core Strategy was adopted by the Council on the 22nd February 2011.

Legal Challenge to the Core Strategy
Following adoption, there was a six week period in which any aggrieved person could make an application to the High Court to challenge the Council's adoption of the Core Strategy.  On 4th April, a claim was submitted to the High Court for an order quashing all that part of the Core Strategy and its associated Proposals Map that determines the boundary of the Green Belt in relation to a small area of land in Richings Park.

This Claim only affected part of the Core Strategy and related Proposals Map to the extent that this land was included in the Green Belt.  The rest of the Core Strategy was unaffected by this claim. 

The High Court hearing into the legal challenge was held on 15th March 2012.  The ruling from the Judge (Stuart Catchpole QC) was handed down on 30th March 2012, and can be downloaded below.  The Judge dismissed the claim and ordered the claimant to pay the Council's legal costs.

What is the Core Strategy?
The Core Strategy is the key document in the South Bucks Local Development Framework. It presents the 'big picture', setting a long-term vision, objectives and broad strategy for accommodating future development in the District in the period to 2026.

Adoption of the Core Strategy
The independent Inspector who presided over the South Bucks Core Strategy Examination presented her Final Report on 31st January 2011. She concluded that the Core Strategy provides an appropriate basis for the planning of the District over the next 15 years and that it was ‘sound’, subject to a limited number of binding changes (all of which were originally proposed by the Council). The Council has accepted these changes and adopted the Core Strategy at a meeting of full Council on 22nd February 2011.

The Proposals Map was updated and adopted along with the Core Strategy. This shows the policy designations in the Core Strategy, along with those saved policies from the adopted South Bucks Local Plan and the Buckinghamshire Minerals and Waste Local Plan.

The adopted Core Strategy, the Inspector’s Report and other related adoption documents can be downloaded below. The Proposals Map can be viewed on the Development Plan Proposals Map page.
Hard copies of the Core Strategy and Proposals Map are available to purchase on request. Please contact the main reception (01895-835000) for information on prices.



Saved Local Plan Policies
The Core Strategy policies replace some policies in the adopted South Bucks Local Plan, while others continue to be saved until replaced by policies in another Development Plan Document. A consolidated version of the adopted Local Plan with all the Local Plan policies that remain saved (following adoption of the Core Strategy) is available to download below. Hard copies are available to purchase on request.



Information on previous stages
Extensive community engagement was carried out to inform the preparation of the Core Strategy. Information on previous stages can be viewed at the Core Strategy Archive Page.

A number of Evidence Base studies were produced to support the Core Strategy preparation and they can be viewed from the Evidence Base Studies page, or they can be inspected at the Council’s offices during normal opening hours.

Sustainability Appraisal reports on various Core Strategy consultation stages can be found at Sustainability Appraisal page.

New Group Form
If you would like to be kept informed about future consultations on the Local Development Framework please complete the Online Form below. We will then add you to our database.

New Group Online Form

This page was last updated on 11th April 2011