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Aylesbury’s town centre has grown and expanded as a direct result of market conditions* over the last 700 hundred years.  Images of Aylesbury which capture some of its history can be found at the foot of this page.

In 2009 there is the recognition that the town centre needs to make another step change in its offer to meet the envisaged demand for wider retail, leisure and employment opportunties which will be required by the planned increase in population and business activity arising from the Growth Agenda (2009/26).  It this need to plan for growth which is driving the production of a town centre plan for Aylesbury. 

AVA’s town centre programme team is conscious of the need to learn the lesson from previous town centre plans.  Issues of design and implementation are areas which require considerable forethought especially in the current economic climate.  This process takes time but as you will read on the project page, progress is being made.  AVA’s goal is to provide Aylesbury Vale District Council with a town centre plan which can be approved and delivered and which will result in a new vibrant town centre with new cultural, retail, employment and leisure offers for the urban and rural population to be proud of.

Aylesbury Vale Advantage’s (AVA) town centre programme team members represent both public and private sector:  Aylesbury Vale District Council, Buckinghamshire County Council, Aylesbury Town Council, The South East of England Development Agency and The Homes and Communities Agency. Other key stakeholders include Warner Estate (Waterside) who own Hale Leys shopping centre and Brookfield Developments (UK) Ltd, who own The Friars Square shopping centre.

*Aylesbury’s town centre began with the Royal Manor located at Kingsbury, seat to Saxon, Norman and Plantagent monarchs. The focus for the most part revolved around St Mary’s church, however as early as the 13th and possibly even the 12th century the market was the central focus of life for the people of Aylesbury, contributing as much to the local economy as to social relations with neighbouring hamlets. The market charter was officially bestowed upon Aylesbury in 1529 by Henry VIII who courted the daughter of Lord of Aylesbury Manor, Anne Boleyn.  Aylesbury soon became the primary town for the county, a title it has retained to the present day.  Aylesbury’s population continued to grow due to the migration of people from London (1950 – 70’s) as part of the increasing affluence and mobility of the population as a whole.