The Buckingham Plan
A vision for a vibrant market town
Executive Summary
Please read the full plan by downloading it here. Printed copies are being distributed to the stakeholder consultees, and additional copies can be purchased for £10 (plus p&p) at the Town Council offices.
Buckingham is a historic and compact market town, with around 12,000 residents and a large secondary school and university population. Its vision is to maintain and enhance its vibrant market town character, to improve its appeal to the surrounding district residents as an attractive town to come and visit, and to provide its residents
(young and old alike) with a wide range of retail, sport and cultural opportunities to reduce the need to travel outside of the town.
The town is aware of the challenges ahead in terms of the general economic climate and the impact that has on local businesses, and in the regional growth agenda that is forcing growth in areas not currently prepared for it. The potential to grow by around 3000 residents - as is suggested by the District Council - is a challenge the town
might grasp, but only if it is in the right context. The well-founded fear and negative perceptions of growth must be understood and dealt with in a positive way by developers and the local authorities if Buckingham is to successfully grow and prosper. Growth of Buckingham is not acceptable at any cost - it must bring benefits to the whole town.
Buckingham has taken the opportunity to state its vision for the next ten to twenty years with this Buckingham Plan, which is the result of a town-wide project undertaken during 2008. It synthesises the needs and aspirations of the town, and also demonstrates a possibility to grow, given the right circumstances.
The Plan acknowledges the problem of previous incremental growth, and the need for infrastructure planning and investment before any substantial growth can be considered for the town. The appropriate authorities need to review and issue programmes of improvement for the utilities, education and health, transport and leisure, river and economic development.
Two large hurdles need to be addressed to unlock possible development sites. The alignment of the A421 and its capacity needs to be addressed. This would then potentially bring forward sites along the existing A421 route for both residential and employment uses. The area between the A422 and A421 (Brackley Road and Tingewick Road) is also a possibility for growth for residential and open space, but only once road and flooding issues are resolved.
There are also critical sites within the historic core that offer opportunities to help improve the retail and leisure facilities of the town: Market Hill, the parking problems, and the potential of the old wharf site, together with growing the tourism potential of the town which is fortunate to have a town museum, National Trust properties near by and the proximity of Silverstone. Given the current economic challenges, the need for a town centre partnership and manager, along the lines of the Aylesbury scheme should be investigated as there is currently no clear leadership possible in three-tier local government system to help lead the town centre forward.
The town wants to become more sustainable - it enjoys its open spaces and local facilities, but access is not easy there is no coherent cycle route, the bus services are poor and there is little incentive to leave the car behind. The current route of the A421 also cuts off the industrial and retail parks from the main part of town, and this could be substantially improved by its realignment. The need to connect physically and emotionally the more outlying developments with the historic core is paramount to help build cohesiveness and a sense of focus for residents.
The Buckingham Plan is a starting point for the town’s partners, and invites you to take part in the next exciting chapter of its long and colourful history.
A vision for a vibrant market town
Executive Summary
Please read the full plan by downloading it here. Printed copies are being distributed to the stakeholder consultees, and additional copies can be purchased for £10 (plus p&p) at the Town Council offices.
Buckingham is a historic and compact market town, with around 12,000 residents and a large secondary school and university population. Its vision is to maintain and enhance its vibrant market town character, to improve its appeal to the surrounding district residents as an attractive town to come and visit, and to provide its residents
(young and old alike) with a wide range of retail, sport and cultural opportunities to reduce the need to travel outside of the town.
The town is aware of the challenges ahead in terms of the general economic climate and the impact that has on local businesses, and in the regional growth agenda that is forcing growth in areas not currently prepared for it. The potential to grow by around 3000 residents - as is suggested by the District Council - is a challenge the town
might grasp, but only if it is in the right context. The well-founded fear and negative perceptions of growth must be understood and dealt with in a positive way by developers and the local authorities if Buckingham is to successfully grow and prosper. Growth of Buckingham is not acceptable at any cost - it must bring benefits to the whole town.
Buckingham has taken the opportunity to state its vision for the next ten to twenty years with this Buckingham Plan, which is the result of a town-wide project undertaken during 2008. It synthesises the needs and aspirations of the town, and also demonstrates a possibility to grow, given the right circumstances.
The Plan acknowledges the problem of previous incremental growth, and the need for infrastructure planning and investment before any substantial growth can be considered for the town. The appropriate authorities need to review and issue programmes of improvement for the utilities, education and health, transport and leisure, river and economic development.
Two large hurdles need to be addressed to unlock possible development sites. The alignment of the A421 and its capacity needs to be addressed. This would then potentially bring forward sites along the existing A421 route for both residential and employment uses. The area between the A422 and A421 (Brackley Road and Tingewick Road) is also a possibility for growth for residential and open space, but only once road and flooding issues are resolved.
There are also critical sites within the historic core that offer opportunities to help improve the retail and leisure facilities of the town: Market Hill, the parking problems, and the potential of the old wharf site, together with growing the tourism potential of the town which is fortunate to have a town museum, National Trust properties near by and the proximity of Silverstone. Given the current economic challenges, the need for a town centre partnership and manager, along the lines of the Aylesbury scheme should be investigated as there is currently no clear leadership possible in three-tier local government system to help lead the town centre forward.
The town wants to become more sustainable - it enjoys its open spaces and local facilities, but access is not easy there is no coherent cycle route, the bus services are poor and there is little incentive to leave the car behind. The current route of the A421 also cuts off the industrial and retail parks from the main part of town, and this could be substantially improved by its realignment. The need to connect physically and emotionally the more outlying developments with the historic core is paramount to help build cohesiveness and a sense of focus for residents.
The Buckingham Plan is a starting point for the town’s partners, and invites you to take part in the next exciting chapter of its long and colourful history.
Download The Buckingham Plan (10Mbit file size)
Download The Plans Executive Summary (0.3Mbit file size)
Download The Latest Action Plan Update (0.3Mbit file size)
Download The Plans Executive Summary (0.3Mbit file size)
Download The Latest Action Plan Update (0.3Mbit file size)
Download The Buckingham Plan (10Mbit file size)
Download The Plans Executive Summary (0.3Mbit file size)
Download The Latest Action Plan Update (0.3Mbit file size)
Download The Plans Executive Summary (0.3Mbit file size)
Download The Latest Action Plan Update (0.3Mbit file size)
Buckingham
Town Council
Town Council
Buckingham
Town Council
Town Council
