Plan for new Aylesbury link road by 1,100 home development approved despite funding concerns

A plan for a new road next to a site earmarked for 1,100 homes, a hotel, and sports and leisure facilities has been approved.

A plan for the new highway, which will support Woodlands, a major mixed-use development site on the east side of Aylesbury, was approved by Buckinghamshire Council’s cabinet members.

Known as the Eastern Link Road South (ELRS), it will connect with the Eastern Link Road North and the A41 Aston Clinton Road.

The council said it had secured funding towards the delivery of the ELRS through the Housing Infrastructure Fund (HIF) and Local Growth Funds.

However, HIF funding is now “insufficient for the council to deliver” the new road as a single or dual carriageway within existing budgets due to “inflation and cost rises”, the council said.

The unitary authority has instead agreed to market Woodlands and the ELRS through a “possible joint venture/special purchase vehicle partnership” to raise the necessary cash.

It has agreed to “explore opportunities” to make this happen, as well as releasing £800,000 from the existing ELRS budget for marketing and other things.

The Woodlands development has outline planning consent to provide up to 1,100 dwellings, 60 residential extra care units, a hotel and conference centre, leisure facilities, a sports village and pitches, athletes accommodation and a primary school.

Funding has been secured for another project designed to ease traffic pressures in Aylesbury. The second phase of the New road: South East Aylesbury Link Road scheme in Aylesbury is going ahead in early 2024.