The Draft Local Plan (regulation 19) Consultation is now open, and runs to Sunday 6 September 2026. The full 450 page plan may be found here; for convenience, we have extracted these sections –
- Contents list for the full document
- Green Belt and National Landscape policies
- The Chesham town centre policy, SP9
- CHS01-03, potential development sites in Chesham (Star Yard, Albany Place, Water Meadows)
First Impressions
Our first impressions of the plan are favourable; the preservation of the Green Belt in particular is a great improvement on the previous iteration. However, there are some features which might cause problems at the independent examination, and should be improved –
- Over optimistic allocations. For example, 240 dwellings for Star Yard; the Chesham Renaissance plan for 180 was considered overbearing
- Failure to consider any brownfield sites within the Green Belt – the coach depot on Lycrome Road, for example.
- No proposals to provide alternative parking for the Chesham sites. The developer must provide parking either on site or elsewhere, “unless robust evidence demonstrates that a reduced level of provision would not adversely affect the vitality and viability of Chesham Town Centre.“. Demonstrates to who ?
The Society plans to produce a joint response to the consultation, with our colleagues in Brown not Green, and Chesham Renaissance.If you have comments on the plan, please send them to us, and copy us in to any submissions you may make.