It seems that new homes are being erected alongside any Buckinghamshire road. However, the rate at which housing stock is increasing is lower than the rise in population. For this reason, there is a local plan which aims to provide a coordinated approach to housing development.

What is the Buckinghamshire Local Plan?
The Buckinghamshire Local Plan* details the County’s housing strategy for 2024- 2029, so what can we learn?

Well, firstly, Buckinghamshire is a desirable place to live because it has high employment rates and is in the London commuter belt. As a result, the population of the county has seen a higher growth rate than other areas of the UK.

In the ten years from 2011 to 2021, the number of households grew by just shy of 10%. The national average is just above 6%. However, despite it seeming like new builds are being constructed on every available space, the housing stock increased by 9%. That’s lower than demand, so we can expect more developments in the years to come.

Much of the existing housing stock is lived in by couples who have non-dependent children and residents over 65 years old. There is a need to focus on good accommodation for older residents as well as genuinely affordable homes for young families and essential workers.

The Need for Energy Efficient Homes
Buckinghamshire’s Local Plan identifies the need for new developments to demonstrate quality building. Homes for sale, private rental and social housing need to address the need for efficient energy performance. Energy Performance Certificate C is the goal. In addition, the Future Homes Standard impacts homes completed in 2025 onwards. These need to generate 75-80% fewer carbon emissions than homes built under 2012 regulations.

With this in mind, LB4Y urge Buckinghamshire Council Planning to encourage developers to use external post boxes in place of through-the-door letter flaps. This is a simple, practical and low-cost step to increase the air tightness and energy efficiency of a property.

Lockable external post boxes, manufactured to European standards, offer a secure, weather-resistant postal delivery solution. Post Boxes for Houses can be wall mounted next to the front door, free standing or installed through a gate or fence.

As a Buckinghamshire-based business, Letterbox4You have supplied quality apartment letterboxes and post boxes for homes, with warrantees, to SME developers. However, the larger builders that dominate the market generally still fit doors with a letterbox. This is a quick way to lose heat from a property, yet an easy problem to solve.

If you are involved in the Buckinghamshire Housing Strategy or are a local housing developer, please contact the team - they'd love to talk with you.

*https://buckinghamshire.moderngov.co.uk/documents/s67839/Housing%20Strategy%20Full%20Version%20November%202023.pdf