Plans to change a shop into a taxi office were thrown out by the council on Wednesday following concerns it would take away from High Wycombe’s newly found “vitality” and attract anti-social behaviour.

Wycombe District Council’s planning committee met on Wednesday, October 19, to discuss proposals to introduce a 24-hour taxi booking office at 5 Cornmarket next to the High Street.

However, councillors ruled the office was “inappropriate” for the town centre and the site should be reserved for retailers – as the council perseveres with its old town regeneration project.

A raft of new business have recently been welcomed into High Wycombe town centre and the opening of a new dessert parlour in time for Christmas shoppers was announced this week.

Ward member for Abbey, Cllr Lesley Clarke, said: “It is heartening to hear that people realise a lot of work has gone in to the town centre to reinvigorate it.“This won’t do anything to reinvigorate the town centre. We are seeing more and more retailers coming forward now and I do believe we should help them.

“We put a lot of effort into economic regeneration and our estates people have worked incredibly hard to make the town centre become viable and we are beginning to turn that corner, let’s just turn the corner a little bit

more.”

Councillors also raised concerns the office would increase noise and anti-social behaviour in the area, with Cllr Clive Harriss fearing customers waiting for their taxis would bang on the windows, disrupting the street.

However, the application stated that as Cornmarket is a pedestrianised area no vehicles would visit the site and the office would not provide a waiting area for customers – it would merely be a booking office.

And a change of use of the building was initially requested for one year to trial the taxi rank, but councillors feared this would invite more offices into the area they are working hard to regenerate.

Cllr Tony Lee said: “I just can’t believe they want to put a 24-hour taxi booking office there.

“They are saying it is going to be an office and not a shop which will take away from the retail area and it invites anyone to set up offices in that area.

“I think it would be a dreadful mistake if you grant this permission.”