I have worked on projects in Buckinghamshire, including a two-storey front extension in Marlow Bottom, a retrospective garage conversion in Marlow Bottom and a retrospective garden and patio scheme across three neighbouring houses in Marlow Bottom, all within the Chilterns National Landscape.
Because Buckinghamshire is a unitary council formed in 2020, its planning policy is still applied area by area using the former districts’ plans, so knowing which documents govern a particular site, and whether it falls within the Chilterns National Landscape, is part of getting a project onto the right footing.
- Council planning pages
- Buckinghamshire Council
- Local Plan
- Buckinghamshire is a unitary council, formed in 2020 from the former Aylesbury Vale, Chiltern, South Bucks and Wycombe districts, so there is no single Buckinghamshire-wide Local Plan yet. The development plan is applied by area using the former districts' adopted plans. Marlow Bottom sits in the former Wycombe area, where the Wycombe Local Plan to 2033 (adopted 2019) and the Delivery and Site Allocations Plan (2013) are the operative documents (adopted legacy plans in force by area; a single new Buckinghamshire Local Plan running to 2045 is being prepared, with a Regulation 18 draft consulted on in autumn 2025). Local Plan page. A new Local Plan is being prepared.
- What to submit with an application
- Local validation requirements.
- Article 4 directions
- Buckinghamshire Council has a number of Article 4 directions that remove specified permitted development rights at particular sites, so that planning permission is needed for works that would otherwise be permitted development. The rights withdrawn vary from site to site, so anyone planning works should check the council's Article 4 page and the specific direction for the property. Article 4 directions.
- Community Infrastructure Levy
- The Community Infrastructure Levy in Buckinghamshire is inherited piecemeal from the former districts, so the schedule and rate depend on the area. The former Wycombe area, which includes Marlow Bottom, has an adopted CIL charging schedule. CIL rates are index-linked and change each January, and Section 106 obligations may apply alongside, so the current rate for a specific site should always be confirmed. Community Infrastructure Levy page.
- Conservation areas and heritage
- Buckinghamshire contains over 150 conservation areas, with appraisals and maps published by former district area. Large parts of the county are also within the Chilterns National Landscape (formerly the Chilterns Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty) and the Metropolitan Green Belt, which are significant additional constraints: in the National Landscape some permitted development rights are removed, and a landscape and visual impact assessment may be needed. Listed building consent and conservation area controls apply in the usual way. Conservation pages.
- Local guidance
- Buckinghamshire has a large set of supplementary planning documents and local guidance, much of it still organised by former district area. For the former Wycombe area this includes the Householder Planning and Design Guidance SPD and the Residential Design Guide SPD, which are used to assess extensions and householder schemes. It is worth checking which guidance applies to a site's area. Supplementary planning documents.
What this means for your project
In Buckinghamshire, the work I do is shaped by the area-based development plan and, across much of the county, by the Chilterns National Landscape and the Metropolitan Green Belt. If your property is in the National Landscape, expect some permitted development rights to be removed, so work that would be permitted elsewhere, such as a garage conversion or a porch, can need a planning application here, and expect the council to look closely at materials, detailing and the effect on the landscape setting. CIL and the relevant guidance depend on which former district area your site is in. I check the current position for your specific address before any drawings are prepared.
Last checked: 27 June 2026. page reviewed Planning policy, charges and local designations change over time, so please confirm the current position with the council before relying on this summary.