Chiltern Local Plan Response

Friday, March 4th, 2016

The Council has gone great lengths to discuss and publish its draft response to the Local Plan, including holding an Extraordinary Council Meeting.

chess valley from stubbs woodblackwell stubbs woodWe have registered our opposition to the identification of a potential development site on the Parish boundary with Amersham. This area contains Blackwell Stubbs Wood and fields bounded by the Metropolitan Railway Line, Stubbs Wood, Chestnut Lane and Quill Hall Farm. Much of the fields are within the Chiltern AONB, which was formed to conserve the special and unique character of the landscape. They are part of the beautiful Chess Valley and it would be totally inappropriate to consider these fields for development.

The Council opposes the de-classification of Green Belt Land in Chesham Bois.

The Council, also, objected to the inclusion of woodland that is long established, steeply sloping and a public amenity enjoyed by both locals and visitors. Blackwell Stubbs Wood is a long established, possibly ancient, woodland, containing a colony of Pipistrelle bats.

The summary of our response is as follows: “Chesham Bois is a small parish consisting of a heritage village centre and well established residential areas, some of special character; it is surrounded by countryside which is almost entirely designated as Green Belt and Chilterns Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty and the Parish Council feels strongly that this should continue to be protected in order to enhance the landscape character and amenity value of the area and to maintain the identity and special character of Chesham Bois as a distinct settlement. The Council is therefore opposed to the development in the parish outlined in the Draft Local Plan.”

Our full response is available here: