Thanks to the Tory vote, Aylesbury residents can now look forward to a housing development plan that will lead to the obliteration of the villages of Bierton and Broughton, and Watermead, as they will be totally engulfed by new housing.
They will cease to exist as separate entities.

At the public cabinet meeting last Wednesday, when all the district councillors were to vote on whether to accept the core strategy for development in Aylesbury Vale, again no satisfactory, direct answer was given as to why the council changed its housing plan from its original recommendation of the Southern Arc to the Eastern Arc.

Many councillors expressed great concern that if the core strategy was not agreed that night, then the council ran the risk of losing its planning powers. They seemed more concerned about this than the public and other councillors' concerns as to whether the eastern arc was the right plan for the direction of housing growth. All those in opposition to the eastern arc are still not convinced that the right plan is being put forward.

Very few Aylesbury residents want the housing by them. The argument isn't about whether housing should be built or not - we are told we have no choice as it is a central government directive - but about whether Aylesbury council is putting forward the right plan.

There is a great risk that the government inspector will criticise the eastern arc decision, as well as the consultation process, as flawed and unsound. Some Tory councillors have implied that if the Tories get into power at the next general election, they will review Labour's housing policies, even the plan they are now submitting.

However, once a planning decision has been made and agreed by the council, and accepted by the government inspector, it cannot be reversed, whatever the change of government. Aylesbury's current, and future, district council will have to accept responsibility for implementing an extremely unpopular, unsound, devastating and irreversible housing plan in the east of Aylesbury.

There will be no going back, no u-turn as before. The landscape, wildlife and people's lives will be changed forever.

Sarah Feeney
Bierton

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