Grumbles over controversial Grimbles Farm planning application

Buckland Parish Council have hit out at Aylesbury Vale Planning Department after a heated planning dispute over an extension to Grimbles Farm in Buckland.
The entrance to Grimbles FarmThe entrance to Grimbles Farm
The entrance to Grimbles Farm

The application has caused huge controversy after Aylesbury Vale District Council’s planning committee voted to approve the application, despite it being in contravention of the Buckland Neighbourhood plan.

This now begs the question, what is the point of having a neighbourhood plan if the council will approve applications which go against them?

The row centres around an objection to a side extension at Grimbles Barn in Buckland Village.

The planning application was initially submitted in April 2013, but has since lapsed.

In the interim period between the first application and second application, the Buckland neighbourhood plan was agreed in 2016 by Aylesbury Vale District Council.

The council must apply the neighbourhood plan when considering any housing applications in the area.

Nigel Hayward, chairman of Buckland Parish Council said: “The initial application was plagued by administrative errors for starters.

“The planning application contravened everything we had voted for in the neighbourhood plan, for which 98% of people voted in favour of.

“If the council are willing to approve applications that contravene the neighbourhood plans, then they aren’t worth the paper they are written on.

“It sets a dangerous precedent.

“The parish council submitted a report highlighting our concerns and how it went against the plan we voted for, and we were simply ignored.

“The inspectors from the council didn’t even come to look at the site, which is hugely disrespectful.”

Buckland resident Richard Peel was also unimpressed with the council.

He said: “This is another example of clueless local councillors showing a total lack of understanding for the rationale behind local plans, not following procedures and as a result showing a complete bias against objectors.

“Fundamentally, they have gone against the wishes of the people living in the area.

The parish council are also angry about comments submitted by residents not being listed on the website planning application.

We have contacted Aylesbury Vale District Council for a statement and are currently awaiting a response.