OPINION on new development within the district is mixed, Wycombe District Council has said, after they proposed to release five areas of land for future housing.

A proposal has been made to release Slate Meadow in Bourne End and High Wycombe sites Gomm Valley and Ashwells, Abbey Barn South and North, and Terriers Farm for development, despite widespread anger from residents.

WDC have told the Bucks Free Press that while holding a public consultation on the Local Plan they also had market research completed to discover the views of residents.

Discussing the market research, Penelope Tollitt, the head of planning and sustainability said there were quite mixed results.

She said: “In asking the public we did some market research to get a balanced statistical view of residents within the district and as always when you ask quite complicated messages in a quantitative way you get some quite mixed results.

“So when residents were asked the question, do you think we should be providing more housing, the answer was yes, so 72% of people said yes.

“When we asked them about the individual sites actually the answers were relatively favourable because most people don’t live locally (to the specific sites).

“But, when we asked them the generic question, should we build on the reserve sites, the answer was no, because enough people have picked up in the press the concerns people have about them.”

Councillors and council workers now hope to work alongside members of the community to get the best solution for the five reserve sites, before putting the proposal in front of the Cabinet in October.

There will be two public meetings at Bucks New University, this month.

The first meeting is tomorrow (Thursday, August 14) and the second meeting is two weeks later on Thursday, August 28.

To attend either meeting, register by contacting Lynn Bartley on 01494 421101 or Simon Barlow on 01494 421158 or by emailing newlocalplan@wycombe.gov.uk