Aggregate supply and demand for sustainable communities : a practical approach to problem solving

The Regional Planning Guidance for the South East (RPG9, 2001) first identified the Milton Keynes and South Midlands (MKSM) Growth Zone. The Sustainable Communities Plan, (ODPM, 2003) which addressed the housing shortage in England by promoting a sustainable pattern of development, identified potential for up to 370,000 new homes within the Growth Zone by 2031. The Milton Keynes & South Midlands Sub-Regional Strategy (2005) provides an analysis of areas with potential for development within the Growth Zone, considering factors such as employment, transport links and utilities. This study identifies aggregate resources in, and close to, the MKSM Growth Zone, a fundamental requirement in the development of housing and infrastructure. It includes a detailed analysis of the evolution of minerals planning policies (the first ever undertaken) in the area and an examination of past, present and future demand. The study also demonstrates a method that can be utilised in future Growth Zone studies.