A major housing site will move forward under a plan designed to protect reptiles during development.

Buckinghamshire Council has approved a reptile mitigation strategy for Gomm Valley and Ashwells Reserve in High Wycombe, a key part of a wider housing scheme.

In March 2026 Buckinghamshire council approved plans that include 544 new homes and a primary school for the area.

(Image: Taylor Wimpey/Buckinghamshire Planning Portal)

The detailed plan, drawn up by Ecology Solutions, was submitted to discharge Condition 25 of planning permission PL/25/2353/FA, which requires measures to safeguard reptiles before site clearance begins.

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Surveys conducted in 2021 identified low populations of slow-worms and common lizards, predominantly in areas of rough grassland in the southwest of the site.

The reptiles were found to be breeding on-site and are protected under the Wildlife and Countryside Act 1981.

The mitigation strategy includes translocating reptiles from impacted areas to an on-site receptor area within the Gomm Valley Local Wildlife Site.

The plan involves creating suitable conditions through habitat restoration, phased clearance, the installation of exclusion fencing, and ecological supervision.

Hibernacula—structures made from logs and rubble to provide winter shelter—will also be built.

The strategy aims to avoid harming reptiles during site clearance and construction, and to maintain or enhance existing reptile habitats.

Habitat improvements will focus on restoring species-rich chalk grassland, managing scrub, and creating basking banks and hibernation sites.

Long-erm management will be secured through a habitat management and monitoring plan, which the developer is required to follow.

Regular monitoring will be carried out to ensure the strategy is working and that habitats remain suitable for reptiles.

If monitoring shows the strategy is not delivering the required outcomes, remedial actions will be taken, such as adjusting grazing regimes or improving habitat features.

The principal contractor will carry out site clearance and construction work, while a qualified ecologist will supervise and advise on ecological matters.

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The strategy forms part of the larger Gomm Valley scheme, which includes 79 homes, four custom-build homes, and up to 461 further properties.

Plans also include a one-form entry primary school, early years provision, up to 1.4 hectares of employment land to provide flexible floorspace, and up to 201 square metres of community space.

The development will be delivered in phases, with ecological enhancements and green open space integrated throughout the site.

Gomm Valley is located to the east of High Wycombe, bordered by Hammersley Lane, Cock Lane, residential areas, the Chiltern Main Line railway, and agricultural land.

Much of the site is intensively managed arable land, although the south-western section supports rough grassland and scrub that provide habitat for reptiles and other wildlife.

Suitable reptile habitat will be retained and improved as part of the scheme, which aims to deliver biodiversity benefits alongside new housing and infrastructure.