Fears over homes plan for Terriers, Tylers Green, Daws Hill and Bourne End

12:57pm Friday 10th July 2009

By Oliver Evans

THOUSANDS of planned new homes for Terriers, Tylers Green, Daws Hill and Bourne End will create a “city of High Wycombe” it was warned last night.

Flackwell Heath resident David Johncock said the move to boost home numbers by at least 10 per cent in Wycombe district was the “thin end of the wedge”.

Mr Johncock, a member of Chepping Wycombe Parish Council, said at a public meeting at High Wycombe Town Hall last night: “Once it starts it won’t stop.”

There are now fears the plans will break down the “green” barriers between High Wycombe and Tylers Green and Hazlemere and between Wooburn and Bourne End.

The Government has demanded council bosses find space for developers to build at least 6,832 more homes, 402.5 a year, to 2026. There about 68,000 in the district at present.

The vast majority, 362 a year, are in the south of district, in High Wycombe, Marlow and Bourne End.

These cannot be transferred to the north, Wycombe District Council planning chief Ian Manktelow said – and the use of the greenfield sites was not negotiable.

It is thought the rise of people living alone is driving the need for housing while others are keen to move to the area for its links to London and good schools.

Council chiefs have pledged to use previously developed land – but last night said current predictions show six “greenfield” sites will be needed when these run out.

Wycombe District Council can control where houses are built as developers need planning permission from the authority.

These are: Abbey Barn north and south, Terriers Farm, Slate Meadow, Bourne End, Ashwells, Gomm Valley.

They would be “released” for development in that order with Terriers Farm onwards after 2019. A meeting on Abbey Barn will be held on Monday (see bottom of story).

In the last two years WDC has exceeded its targets – meaning homes could expand by even more than ten per cent.

Of all homes, 30 to 40 per cent would be “affordable”, meaning they would be managed by housing associations either at reduced rent or through schemes such as shared ownership.

Yet Mr Manktelow warned developers have challenged council demands for affordable homes “in the current economic climate”.

And there will be not a let up for the recession, which has seen developers reluctant to build homes. House prices were at 2005 levels and sales were down by half, he said.

He also confirmed previously mooted plans to build on Bassetsbury Allotments in Bassetsbury Lane, High Wycombe are now off the agenda.

Tests had found contamination, which has closed the allotments since February, he said.

People at the meeting were ask to join groups for the site they were interested in – and the Abbey Barn group seemed to have come to a definite conclusion.

Liberal Democrat district councillor Ray Farmer said they only wanted planned development on neighbouring former RAF Daws Hill to go ahead.

The plan would allow 450 homes on the larger Abbey Barn south and up to 100 on Abbey Barn north.

Party colleague Trevor Snaith told the audience: “There is potentially a 500 per cent increase in traffic down Abbey into the marsh that will split the village.

And Mr Johncock said the plans for about 550 homes “do not address traffic problems through Loudwater and Flackwell Heath.

“This is one of the most important aspects of the proposals. They need to be addressed before they are taken forward,” he said.

The plan also proposes moving St Bernard’s and St Augustine’s schools from Daws Hill Lane to the new development to ease congestion – with the remaining land sold for homes.

Mr Manktelow said: “You would need re-development of that site to fund re-location or it would be a non-starter.”

Another primary school would be needed at Abbey Barn to cope with the rise in population, he added.

“Extensive transport modelling” had been carried out, he said but said there would be “additional problems that would be created by this development”.

He said: “I’ll be frank and say we are still working on transport issues at the moment.”

The plans also cover a major re-development of High Wycombe town centre (see link, bottom of story).

The site has “major landscape constraints” said Mr Manktelow of the 400-home plan, to include “small scale” employment and a 400-space park and ride facility.

A “green wedge” would be needed to keep the division between Hazlemere and High Wycombe, he added.

Janet Chard, who answered for the group, said: “Everybody were concerned there should be employment opportunities for this area, of which there are very few at the moment.”

The park and ride should not necessarily be at the site, she added and said: “The corridor that separates Hazlemere and High Wycombe should me maintained.”

Mr Manktelow said the site has “very major landscape constraints” and ecological concerns.

Access to the massive site would be via Gomm Road, Pimms Grove and Hammersley Lane.

And there would be a “large gap” between the site and Ashwells, to the north.

Planning officer Chris Schmidt-Reid said the group was concerned “development could result in a significant increase in traffic down Cock Lane”.

They were also worried about water run off should large parts be concreted over and increased congestion on the A40.

Howard Bellairs, of Stratford Drive, Wooburn Green, said: “There has always been considerable opposition to these proposals and that is not going to lessen in any way.”

He added: “There is a genuine feeling from most of the residents and us here tonight that this is not a site suitable for housing development.”

Councillor Jean Teesdale, council cabinet member for planning and sustainability, said: “It has been a really positive evening.

M40 Gateway Monday 13 July 7-9pm. Amersham & Wycombe College, Flackwell Heath Campus.

Desborough Area (exhibition) Wednesday 15 July 2-8pm. Green Street Youth & Community Centre, High Wycombe.

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.