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Estate design must be right if Aylesbury is to grow and prosper
One of the main things that makes Aylesbury a nice place to live is that its streets present a relatively pleasant and safe environment, for those on foot at least.
Even the old council estates such as Southcourt and Walton Court, often described as the town's 'pockets of deprivation', are a million miles away from the dreadful sink estates found in many of Britain's major cities.
Much of this has to do with the relative affluence enjoyed in leafy Bucks, combined with the good work that the police do in tackling crime and anti-social behaviour when it occurs.
But good planning also plays its part.
Which is why it is so shocking that one of the town's latest additions, Buckingham Park, has been so roundly criticised for its poor design and layout which has already led to 'notable levels' of crime.
In fact, we are told the estate could become a 'ghetto' if developers are allowed to cluster social housing in one area.
Ghetto is certainly a very strong word, conjuring images of 20th century Toxteth in Liverpool or even the Bronx in New York.
That it could be used to describe a place in Aylesbury is deeply disturbing.
On the whole, people in Aylesbury live well together side by side, no matter whether they own their property, rent it privately or belong to a housing association.
There may be the odd problem, but if evidence shows that mixing up different forms of housing is the best way to unify people and curb crime and anti-social behaviour, developers Taylor Wimpey will need to present a very strong argument to the contrary to persuade its critics otherwise.
Perhaps what is most surprising about Buckingham Park is that it is a new development.
We simply expect new things to work and the mistakes of the past to be learnt.
That it appears they have not is of particular concern to Aylesbury, given the fact that new developments are likely to spring up in the near future and its population is set to grow by several thousands.
Architects must make sure that the problems experienced at Buckingham Park are not repeated in any new estates.
And likewise, Aylesbury Vale District Council must ensure that building companies are under no allusions that only the best designed and most socially cohesive developments will be allowed to progress within our community.
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Weather for Aylesbury
Saturday 26 May 2012
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Temperature: 11 C to 23 C
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