Buckinghamshire Planning & Building
Contacts Directory

Covers the whole of the historic county of Buckinghamshire except Milton Keynes. The Chilterns Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty (National Landscape) covers the south and east of the county - additional scrutiny applies to development in and around the AONB.

Milton Keynes has been a unitary authority since 1997 and was granted city status in 2022. It operates its own planning, building control, highways and all other services independently of Buckinghamshire Council. Milton Keynes has an extensive network of designated rights-of-way (redways) - these must be considered in any development abutting the network.

Both Buckinghamshire Council and Milton Keynes City Council operate building control teams. You may also use a Registered Building Control Approver (private sector) anywhere in the county.

Guildford office. Buckinghamshire contains exceptional heritage: Stowe (Grade I parkland), Waddesdon Manor (National Trust), Hartwell House, the historic town of Buckingham and numerous Chilterns villages. The Chilterns National Landscape (AONB) covers the south and east of the county and its setting is a material planning consideration.

Maintained by Buckinghamshire Council. Check the HER before submitting planning applications likely to affect archaeology or heritage assets. Milton Keynes has its own separate historic environment resource - contact the city council.

Flood Incident Line: 0345 988 1188 (24hr). Southern Buckinghamshire drains to the Thames; northern Buckinghamshire and Milton Keynes drain to the Great Ouse. Check the flood map for any development near rivers. The Chilterns chalk streams (Chess, Misbourne, Wye) are chalk streams of international importance - development near them may require additional ecological assessment.

Check your postcode to confirm which water company supplies your address. Sewerage in much of Buckinghamshire is with Thames Water. Build-over agreement required before building over or near a public sewer.

Power cuts: 105. UKPN operates the electricity distribution network across all of Buckinghamshire including Milton Keynes.

Gas emergency: 0800 111 999. Use LSBUD to check pipe locations before excavating.

HS2 note: The HS2 Phase 1 and 2a route passes through Buckinghamshire from the south to beyond Aylesbury. Development within the HS2 safeguarded zone requires consultation with HS2 Ltd and may be restricted. Check the HS2 safeguarding maps via GOV.UK.

Notify HSE of notifiable construction projects under CDM Regulations at least 2 weeks before work begins.