BROWN NOT GREEN
Has been campaigning for over 10 years to protect the Green Belt around Chesham. Until now the focus has been on the fields NE of the town near Lye Green. However, whilst we have been successful so far, Chesham residents may not yet be aware of the scale of housing development now being considered around our town as part of the emerging new Buckinghamshire Local Plan.
***We urge all Residents and Supporters of Brown Not Green to respond to the Bucks Survey by 16TH MARCH 2026 and have outlined how to do that.***
CLICK HERE:
bng_guidance_notes_for_bucks_survey_responses_-_feb_2026.pdf to download details of how to respond.***
Then click HERE to go to the Bucks Council website to respond to the Survey
Recent evidence published by Buckinghamshire Council in response to Central Government housing targets, now includes a number of other Green Belt sites and agricultural land in and around Chesham that are also under assessment for development.
This again includes the fields at Lye Green notably land to the north-east of Chesham at Lye Green (Site CH004 in the Council’s Green Belt Assessment Appendix 10 - C) but also additional (mainly) farmland to the south of Lye Green Road now identified as “Chesham East” being earmarked for the New & Expanded Settlements Study (NESS).
This area alone is being suggested could accommodate c.1,400 new homes plus potentially 900 plus homes at Lye Green as well as numerous other sites around Chesham.
Some of this land is now being described in Council planning documents as provisionally “Grey Belt” — a designation that may make it significantly easier for development to be approved, particularly in towns like Chesham which some consider to be “well-connected” simply due to having a Metropolitan Line station.
The key sites of concern to Brown Not Green are:
Planning guidance currently prioritises:
• Brownfield land first
• Then Grey Belt
• Then Green Belt sites — especially those within walking distance of rail stations.
Brown Not Green feel that if all reasonable previously-developed (brownfield) options within Chesham have not been fully explored — including town-centre capacity — then alterations to the Green Belt may not meet the “exceptional circumstances” test as required by national policy.
To view the Council’s Evidence Base (now exceeding 10,000 pages!) – click HERE
To View the Council Interactive Map (which might give a quicker overview) click HERE
Please take time to respond — and use your own words where possible rather than copying and pasting.**
Has been campaigning for over 10 years to protect the Green Belt around Chesham. Until now the focus has been on the fields NE of the town near Lye Green. However, whilst we have been successful so far, Chesham residents may not yet be aware of the scale of housing development now being considered around our town as part of the emerging new Buckinghamshire Local Plan.
***We urge all Residents and Supporters of Brown Not Green to respond to the Bucks Survey by 16TH MARCH 2026 and have outlined how to do that.***
CLICK HERE:
bng_guidance_notes_for_bucks_survey_responses_-_feb_2026.pdf to download details of how to respond.***
Then click HERE to go to the Bucks Council website to respond to the Survey
Recent evidence published by Buckinghamshire Council in response to Central Government housing targets, now includes a number of other Green Belt sites and agricultural land in and around Chesham that are also under assessment for development.
This again includes the fields at Lye Green notably land to the north-east of Chesham at Lye Green (Site CH004 in the Council’s Green Belt Assessment Appendix 10 - C) but also additional (mainly) farmland to the south of Lye Green Road now identified as “Chesham East” being earmarked for the New & Expanded Settlements Study (NESS).
This area alone is being suggested could accommodate c.1,400 new homes plus potentially 900 plus homes at Lye Green as well as numerous other sites around Chesham.
Some of this land is now being described in Council planning documents as provisionally “Grey Belt” — a designation that may make it significantly easier for development to be approved, particularly in towns like Chesham which some consider to be “well-connected” simply due to having a Metropolitan Line station.
The key sites of concern to Brown Not Green are:
- Land NE of Chesham Lye Green - OPUS Ref 3136 & GB Ref CH004
- Mapledene Orchard, Lycrome Road, Chesham – OPUS Ref 639
- Land south of Lye Green Road and area identified in NESS as East Chesham inc GB ref’s CH005 & CH006
Planning guidance currently prioritises:
• Brownfield land first
• Then Grey Belt
• Then Green Belt sites — especially those within walking distance of rail stations.
Brown Not Green feel that if all reasonable previously-developed (brownfield) options within Chesham have not been fully explored — including town-centre capacity — then alterations to the Green Belt may not meet the “exceptional circumstances” test as required by national policy.
To view the Council’s Evidence Base (now exceeding 10,000 pages!) – click HERE
To View the Council Interactive Map (which might give a quicker overview) click HERE
- For a Guidance Note by BNG on the issues & how to respond please click HERE bng_guidance_notes_for_bucks_survey_responses_-_feb_2026.pdf
- THEN - Click HERE to go to the Bucks Council website to respond to the Survey.
- Alternatively, you can download a paper Survey response form to complete or post - Click HERE
Please take time to respond — and use your own words where possible rather than copying and pasting.**
