Key Amersham planning decisions due tonight

Chiltern District Council's planning committee is set to decide on a new multi-million pound building at Amersham and Wycombe College's Amersham campus and a housing development in Raans Road.

Both plans look set to be given the go-ahead – but the Government is due to have the final say.

Amersham and Wycombe College plans to construct a three-storey building to replace existing 40-year-old classrooms at its Stanley Hill campus.

Neil Matthews, the college's marketing manager, said: “If we want to become one of the top ten per cent colleges in England, we need to get quality buildings in order to do that.

“We have taken care to make sure the visual impact is minimised as far as we can. The proposals will reduce the visual prominence of the building.”

He added new classrooms in the building could be tailored to suit the needs of each subject – and new facilities for public use could be included.

Mr Matthews said “We have a theatre at the moment but the plan is to redevelop that, so it's available for public use. It would be of benefit to local drama groups.”

A new car park would also be built – which the college hopes will attract more students to study there.

The planning committee is also set to decide on plans to build 83 homes and a new church building at the former Raans Road School field.

Similar plans were rejected by Chiltern District Council in May last year after it was opposed by nearby residents.

They feared the proposals would cause traffic problems and wouldn't provide enough public space, particularly for young people.

New access roads and parking areas would be built to improve access to the site, although a 'multi-use games area' included in the original application will not now be built.

Planning officers have indicated they were “minded to grant conditional permission” to both applications, but both proposals are set to be referred to the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government Hazel Blears.