Important questions were asked to planning officers last week during a controversial meeting about the creation of ‘Greater Saunderton’.

Plans to build 1,000 new homes on the Chiltern’s Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty (AONB) were condemned by residents during two public meetings at the Clare Charity Centre, Saunderton, earlier this month.

The council Task and Finish Group, which is looking at the Saunderton Area Action Plan, asked questions of Audrey Jones - the deputy cabinet member for planning – and other planning officers during a public meeting in the Council Chamber on Thursday evening.

Sian Rees-Evans of the Molins Action Group said: “The Task and Finish Group did an excellent job – they asked all the right questions – but unfortunately I don’t think we got all the right answers.

“They were rightly concerned about the risks of flooding, increased traffic and the protection of the AONB land.

“We hope now that the Saunderton Area Action Plan will be stopped.”

Ms Rees-Evans stated she is in favour of Bledlow-cum-Saunderton Parish Council’s Neighbourhood Plan which is part of Chiltern District Council’s Local Plan for the area.

“The neighbourhood plan is the ideal way to move forward with development in the area because it stops developers trying to put in speculative applications.”

The Task and Finish Group’s recommendations will be put before the Improvement and Review Commission at a meeting in the Council Chamber on November 11.

They will then be presented to Cabinet on November 16 for consideration.