The new planning chief for Wycombe District Council said he will offer a firm hand on the tiller after being handed the job for the first time.

Last year’s planning committee chairman David Johncock has taken over from Neil Marshall as Cabinet member for Planning under new leader Katrina Wood.

He said that a green belt review would be a priority for the new administration, adding that the vow to protect green belt areas comes with a responsibility to provide ever-increasing numbers of homes.

He said: "We lost some very good people in the election, so we need to maintain some continuity and corporate knowledge, which is the main reason for the appointment.

"A plan for a green belt review was already in place [before the election] and we have always said we must do all we can to protect the green belt and hopefully we can do that.

"We are going to be balanced and we will be positive, but every year we have to build another 650 houses and that is a challenge."

Cllr Johncock said the planning department at WDC do a "good job" and that he has been pleased at how few planning appeals have gone against the authority recently.

The Flackwell Heath representative will form a key part of the team looking to establish a new Local Plan for the district.

Alongside Julia Langley in the newly re-established Housing Cabinet role, he and the team will work towards outlining all major development opportunities and strategies for the longer term.

No date has been finalised for WDC’s Local Plan, though planners have previously said it will take at least two years to complete.