The arrival of a long-awaited new cafe in a popular High Wycombe park has moved one step closer - as official plans are submitted nearly a year after they were first discussed.

The "dated and deteriorating" boat house cafe at The Rye – which is currently a green corrugated shed – could be demolished and replaced with a new modular building that would be built off-site and hoisted into place.

Although the current cafe is popular, its opening times are inconsistent and it does not have any toilets.

Wycombe District Council (WDC) says the new cafe will have "modern catering facilities" as well as indoor seating, two fully accessible toilets and a new boat store.

ALSO READ: Popular boat house cafe in park set for a big makeover

The corrugated green walls will be a distant memory, with the new cafe having wood cladding and a green Sedum roof instead.

Three trees - two horse chestnut and a sycamore - need to be felled to build the new cafe and this appears to have already happened, even though planning permission has not yet been given.

However, WDC says replacement trees will be planted elsewhere within the park to make up for the loss.

The new cafe will continue to overlook the dyke, with a patio area and outdoor seating for visitors to enjoy the view.

In planning documents, WDC says the replacement cafe will be a "substantial improvement over the dated and deteriorating metal shed in appearance and facilities offered".

They added: "The new building will provide the town with a brand new, purpose-built cafe, boathouse and public convenience".

Residents living near The Rye have raised some questions about the plans, with some concerns about the need for more toilets in the popular park.

Stuart Jones, who lives in Warren Wood Drive, said The Rye and Holywell Mead "already have multiple public toilet facilities next to the Lido, adding: "What evidence is there that these are inadequate?"

He also asked how the new cafe will remain viable, saying the current stock of boats that park-goers use is in need of maintenance.

He added: "Litter is a persistent problem in the town and its public spaces. The existing cafe offers products in Styrofoam cups and plates that are not biodegradable and can often be found on the grass and in the Dyke.

"Will the new cafe use sustainable/degradable materials and will the new cafe operator be responsible for removing litter around it?"

Fellow High Wycombe resident Peter Edwards added: "Why were three trees cut down prior to the planning for this application being approved? Planting more trees does not go far enough to compensate for total carbon emissions when the felled trees have been chipped and been oxidised to CO2 in a year or two. Furthermore, the chipping will kill the surrounding grass."

However, when the plans were last discussed in March 2019 by High Wycombe councillors, they though the plans were "brilliant".