Stantec secures planning permission for Aylesbury Woodlands

Stantec has helped secure outline planning consent for the Aylesbury Woodlands development in Buckinghamshire. The approval from Buckinghamshire Council follows an extensive programme of work, including community and stakeholder engagement in the evolution of this innovative mixed-use proposal.

Stantec has been supporting Buckinghamshire Advantage with technical and planning advice for the Aylesbury Woodlands site since 2014. Stantec was appointed as lead consultant for the scheme through the Homes England Multi-Disciplinary Framework to create the vision to develop the 220-hectare site.

Aylesbury Woodlands will be a sustainable scheme designed to deliver green infrastructure – with 50% of the site green and open. The development is part of Aylesbury’s Garden Town initiative and will create 1,100 new market and affordable houses, new retail and employment developments as well as health, leisure, education, transportation, and community infrastructure. The finished scheme will be a self-contained community giving people easy access on foot or cycle to day-to-day facilities, all within an exceptional environment.

The proposed commercial area – on the eastern part of the Aylesbury Woodlands site - was granted Enterprise Zone status in November 2015. The Buckinghamshire Enterprise Zone will help unlock significant private and national investment bringing much needed infrastructure and a transformational employment offer for the region.

Stantec’s multi-disciplinary team led the project, working with sub-consultants Environment Design Partnership (EDP) who prepared the indicative masterplan. As well as managing the project, Stantec has provided a wide range of services to take the scheme through feasibility and planning application, including planning strategy and retail and socio-economic inputs, EIA, transport, flood risk and drainage, noise and air quality, ground conditions, and utilities.

Nigel Fern, Senior Associate Transport Planner and Stantec project lead, commented: “Getting the green light for the project is testament to the hard work of everyone involved. This will be a transformational development for the area, not only delivering much needed new homes and employment opportunities, but also creating a community that works with the surrounding environment to promote the health and wellbeing of residents. Our team has worked on this project for several years, preparing extensive pre-application consultation and feasibility work before finally lodging the planning application. It's great to know that work has helped to secure the future of the scheme.”

Commenting on the announcement, Michael Parkinson, Director North and Scotland, Stantec, said: “We’re thrilled with this decision. This is a visionary scheme that will ensure sustainable growth for the community and deliver a design that puts residents first. Our team always designs with community in mind and Aylesbury Woodlands will be a great example of that.”  

Richard Harrington, Managing Director of Buckinghamshire Advantage, said: “We are delighted with the granting of the outline planning consent for Aylesbury Woodlands. We now have the opportunity to progress the delivery of this important development to help plug gaps in infrastructure provision, grow jobs, build a sustainable community and enhance access to open space and new community facilities. In this respect Aylesbury Woodlands is both highly complementary and distinct from previous Aylesbury Major Development Areas and it will support the wider growth of the Garden Town. The Stantec team was excellent and the expertise, persistence and project management has led to a remarkable opportunity for Aylesbury to grow within a bespoke, carefully crafted, sustainable and safe framework.”

About Stantec
Communities are fundamental. Whether around the corner or across the globe, they provide a foundation, a sense of place and of belonging. That's why at Stantec, we always design with community in mind.

We care about the communities we serve—because they're our communities too. This allows us to assess what's needed and connect our expertise, to appreciate nuances and envision what's never been considered, to bring together diverse perspectives so we can collaborate toward a shared success.

We're designers, engineers, scientists, and project managers, innovating together at the intersection of community, creativity, and client relationships. Balancing these priorities results in projects that advance the quality of life in communities across the globe.

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Stantec Media Relations                                   
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