Horns Lane: Plans to build 62 new homes in a High Wycombe field

The land, off Horns Lane, is owned by Buckinghamshire Council - and they want to develop up to 62 homes there.

The field, which is surrounded by Horns Lane, The Paddocks and Linnet Close and is near the M40, used to be in the Green Belt but it was removed as part of the Wycombe District Local Plan and allocated for housing instead.

The money generated by house sales will go back into funding council services.

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An "outline" planning application for up to 62 homes will be submitted first, which usually looks at things like the general layout of the homes, the roads, open spaces, parking and access.

If that is given the go-ahead, a second more detailed plan will be put forward, which will look much closer at the designs of the homes and other specific elements.

What we know so far is that the main road access into the housing estate, if it gets the green light, will be via a T-junction from Horns Lane.

Cycle and pedestrian access will be created from The Paddocks, Horns Lane and the footpath linking to Limmer Lane.

The existing footpath crossing the northern edge of the site will be maintained and the footpath between Horns Lane and Cressex Road will be enhanced.

The site will also have a mix of allocated, unallocated and visitor parking and cycle storage spaces.

The council is keen to reassure that the building work will protect the hedgerows and trees and on the site - but ecological surveys of the site has revealed there are "no significant constraints that cannot be suitably mitigated".

They added that the new housing will provide "natural surveillance" to the back gardens along Linnet Close, improving security.

Although the new homes will be close to the M40, motorway noise is not expected to be a problem, according to acoustic surveys - and the council said they will be "laid out in such a way that the buildings and landscape will help reduce motorway noise".

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The new builds will also be only two-storeys and the distance between windows and other properties will be at least 21 metres to prevent overlooking.

Allotments that border the field will not be touched during the development.

The council has addressed any potential concerns residents may have about a conflict of interest with the council deciding on its own planning application by saying: "It is not uncommon for councils to submit their own applications.

"Officers will treat them no differently to public applications and, if anything, may be harder on them. We will still consider all feedback and want to deliver a quality development that meets our principles."

Buckinghamshire Council wants to hear from residents what they think about the plans and has set up a dedicated website looking at the potential new development.

To have your say and view the plans, go to www.hornslane.co.uk