9:10am Friday 12th June 2009
By Oliver Evans
A MAJOR makeover of High Wycombe town centre has been announced including plans to axe a flyover and re-route traffic to make it more “pedestrian friendly”.
Wycombe District Council wants to close the elevated section of Abbey Way, which connects the Eden and Wycombe Hospital roundabouts for a public space.
The council hopes the nearby Royal British Legion, fire station and Liberal Club will be re-located – to concerns from some owners.
And the long-mooted plans would see traffic routed through the Desborough area by 2014.
Cul-de-sac Westbourne Street would be connected to the A40 via a widened Desborough Road and a new link road through former gas works – earmarked for retail – to a widened Queen Alexandra Road.
The River Wye and Hughenden stream would be “opened up” and a water feature built as part of new public space at the former Abbey Way site, open to local traffic and buses only.
The Eden roundabout would be removed and A4128 Archway, between the roundabout and the railway bridge, would go from a dual to a single carriageway.
Abbey Way is “divisive”, the council argues, and opening it up would create a more “pedestrian friendly” town.
To see a map of the plans click here.
To see read the council’s full document click here. (pdf 3.4MB). You can cross reference codes in the above map to the full details in this document.
It comes after the national Planning Inspectorate watchdog previously said there little evidence to show the flyover plan was achievable – but the council says it can now prove it is.
Planning chief councillor Jean Teesdale said: “I think it is really exciting and imaginative. We want it to be a place where people want to live and work.”
The council said the plan had undergone “extensive transport modelling” but warned congestion would increase unless public transport improved.
Click the links at the bottom of the story for plans for Marlow, Bourne End, Princes Risborough and outer Wycombe areas.
But residents living off Rutland Street said they were stunned by the plan to divert traffic through Debsorough. Angela Reeve, 51, said: “It’s ridiculous.”
Buckinghamshire Fire & Rescue Service said its present location is “currently the best option” and it wanted the ageing station redeveloped.
And legion chairman John Llewellyn said: “We would fight it tooth and nail.”
Yet Liberal Club secretary Alan Grainger said the club “definitely would be interested” in moving. “It could mean an improvement for our members,” he said.
Council planning chief Ian Manktelow said compulsory purchase orders would be a “last resort”.
Council Labour group leader Margaret Draper said she welcomed the “broad sweep” of the plans.
Lib Dem district councillor Trevor Snaith said: "Opening the river is the best thing that could happen. Getting rid of the flyover is long overdue."
Yet he said he was concerned that the fire stations and clubs "may be put under pressure to leave".
Chris Woodman, spokesman for the High Wycombe Society conservation group, said: “It could transform the town and be a tremendous improvement.”
Other proposals include: • Making Queen Victoria Road two-way and allowing Royal Mail and WDC offices to be redeveloped for offices.
• A 150-bed hotel and offices by Wycombe Sports Centre. Cressex park and ride would move to the site, where coaches would stop. Another park and ride would go at Terriers Farm, off Amersham Hill.
• A more “flexible” approach to town centre shop types to meet an “urgent” need to fill empty units.
• Redevelopment of the train station. Chiltern Railways this week made a planning application for a bus interchange, shopping mall, restaurant and cafe and business units. Three parking decks would provide a total 716 parking spaces and extensions to the 1854 broad gauge terminus would be removed.
• Allowing WDC-owned 167-space Duke Street car park to be used for homes or offices with “some” spaces kept.
• Permitting restaurants, pubs, shops and a hotel in the “tired” and “failing” Chilterns Shopping Centre. A hotel plan has already been submitted.
All plans are out to consultation from Tuesday.
To see the council’s maps of all developments click here. (pdf, 19.3MB).
Respond to WDF Consultation, Planning Policy Team, Wycombe District Council, Freepost HY120, Planning and Sustainability WDC 63, Queen Victoria Road, High Wycombe, HP11 1BB. Email spatial_planning@wycombe.gov.uk.
Public meetings and exhibitions on the plans will be held by the council next week.
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