IN a document likely to leave many residents, commuters and environmental campaigners horrified, Wycombe District Council has laid out some preliminary options for what could see the construction of more than 10,000 new homes in the district over the next decade and a half.

Sorry, how many? But where will they go? Not in my back yard, I hope. How will our already overstretched roads cope? And won’t they eat into the cherished green spaces our county prides itself on? These, we suspect, will be the tip of the iceberg of the questions to come.

While the scale of the plan is alarming , it is not the fault of the council. WDC is simply trying to meet the housing requirements set down by central Government.

It is also grasping the nettle to try to retain some control of future home-building itself, instead of idly allowing a situation where developers are able to run roughshod over public concerns.

The worry, though, as ever is where will it end? The current proposals are to take us up to 2031. But in 2032 isn’t it possible we will need up to 1,000 homes a year to keep up with need?

Like it or not, though, our population is growing and something has to be done to ensure the housing demands of the age, and our area, are met. Sadly, there does not seem to be any way of keeping everybody happy.

Princes Risborough Town Council has already been quick to voice its concern, with that town seemingly firmly in the crosshairs of future development proposals.

No matter what you think, development of some form will go ahead. But you can have some say how and where it happens. Wycombe District residents and businesses will soon receive a booklet outlining the council’s planned options in a consultation document.

We sincerely hope that, between February 11 and April 4, every single person who can complete this consultation makes a point of doing so.

It could be the blueprint for schemes that may change the face of the district in the years to come, and this is the only way we can have any control over it. And if we don’t have our say now, it may soon be too late to have our voices heard at all.