Minister orders unitary to publish revised Local Development Scheme but council says intervention is "unwarranted"

In a letter to Buckinghamshire’s Leader outlining the intervention, Cllr Steven Broadbent, Pennycook said the revised scheme should include specific milestones:

• Regulation 19 consultation to commence by no later than 23 July 2026;
• Submission of the plan for examination should be no later than 31 December 2026.

The minister said use of the Secretary of State’s powers under section 15(4) of the Planning and Compulsory Act 2004 to make the direction was justified in order to “ensure full and effective coverage of the Buckinghamshire Council area by a development plan”.

In the letter, Pennycook said: “As you know, this government firmly believes that the local development needs of areas such as Buckinghamshire are best addressed through a plan-led approach. Buckinghamshire is currently covered by local plans inherited from its former district areas, all but one of which are more than five years old, meaning they contain policies that may be out-of-date.

“As things currently stand, the council cannot demonstrate a five-year housing land supply in any of the former district areas covered by these inherited local plans, putting Buckinghamshire into the presumption in favour of sustainable development. As a result, there is a high likelihood that development will come forward on a piecemeal and speculative basis, with reduced public engagement and fewer guarantees that it will make the most of an area’s potential.”

Pennycook said these points underlined the importance of Buckinghamshire getting an up-to-date plan in place as soon as possible, “something that the council has not yet achieved six years on from its formation”.

The letter noted that in 2025 Buckinghamshire had to adopt a revised Local Development Scheme after failing to meet the timetable set out in its 2020 LDS.

Buckinghamshire’s current LDS commits it to a Regulation 19 pre-submission consultation in “July/August 2026” as a next plan step, before submitting the plan for examination in December 2026, which is the deadline for the current plan making system.

“There is no leeway within your current plan timetable for these milestones to slip, or for additional consultations to be undertaken beyond those already scheduled,” Pennycook wrote.

“In this context, it is notable that the council has not yet made any site allocations available to the public, nor has it published a number of key evidence base documents.”

The minister said that “in light of the council’s history of poor performance with plan-making, including failure to adhere to previous versions of your LDS”, he was concerned there was significant risk that the council could once again fail to meet its own milestones.

“I therefore believe it is necessary to direct you to implement a measurable timetable that firms up your stated commitment to submitting a plan by 31 December 2026.”

The minister warned that should a significant delay occur against the milestones set out in the revised Local Development Scheme, “I will consider whether I need to take any further action”.

Cllr Steven Broadbent, Leader of Buckinghamshire Council said: “This letter is completely unwarranted and is factually inaccurate. I am in the process of writing to the Minister as a matter of urgency to set the record straight on this matter.

“As confirmed in our Cabinet report in September 2025, we are fully on track with our plans to publish our draft Local Plan in July 2026. Last autumn we carried out a public consultation, and we will be publishing details of the next stage, technical assessment, this week, having already briefed councillors, MPs, town and parish councillors.

“Government have remained overtly interested in our progress with regular visits by Inspectors since September 2025. We have fully engaged with them and no concerns have been raised about progress during this time."

Cllr Broadbent added: “We are working to a very tight timescale but have consistently delivered against it. A vast amount of work is needed to fulfil the Government’s requirement of 95,000 new homes in Buckinghamshire in a way that ensures sustainability and supports our existing communities, however we remain committed to working to the timescales imposed by the Government.

“Our Local Plan provides the best defence to speculative development, so it is in the best interest of Buckinghamshire residents that the plan progresses.”