Building more houses and an office in London End could ‘devastate’ Beaconsfield Old Town, the chairman of a residents group has warned.

Controversial plans to demolish workshops and garages at the back of 36 to 56 London End and replace them with a terrace of four houses and an office building have been submitted, five months after a ‘virtually identical’ application was refused.

Beaconsfield Old Town Residents Association (BOTRA) chairman Sandy Saunders said while the applicant, Burnham Nominees Ltd, has worked to rectify issues with the last application, he has ‘major concerns’ about pedestrian safety and traffic if the plan is given the go ahead.

The access road to the site, which visitors to the Millbarn Medical Centre also use, is currently not wide enough for two-way traffic and developers will attempt to alleviate the situation by creating a one-way system.

Mr Saunders said the danger to people heading to the medical centre is a major factor, despite the plans for a one-way traffic system.

He said: “The people who will be using that road will be sick people, people on crutches or in wheelchairs or on walking frames. The access road is no more than three metres across and could be very dangerous for them.”

Mr Saunders also has concerns about the added traffic from people visiting the houses and offices and fears it could have a negative effect on shops.

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He said: “It is going to cause severe congestion and visitors to the town and residents are going to struggle to find parking. Visitors and residents are going to be frustrated by the traffic and retailers could be starved of trade.

“Another 100 or 150 people who will be working at the office will have to find somewhere to park and they could end up parking on the road. It would exacerbate the already difficult parking situation.”

Mr Saunders also says it would be ‘preferable’ to see more affordable housing instead of an office block which he feels would be ‘out of keeping’ with the area.

Burnham Nominees Ltd said in their design and access statement that it is ‘important’ that the houses will not have ‘any harmful impact upon their neighbours’ and that the buildings will be designed with inspiration from ‘traditional workers cottages.’

Mr Saunders said: “We are not objecting to this as NIMBY’s, we accept that development needs to happen but not at that density.

“More affordable housing would be beneficial to the town. We don’t, in my opinion, need more offices.

“There isn’t enough space in the Old Town for a development like this and it is completely out of keeping with the area.”

While the deadline for comments on the application has passed, Mr Saunders is urging residents to attend meetings at South Bucks District Council to make their views known if they object to the plans.

View the planning application here.