Bridge Court in Desborough Road nears completion

The new building - called Bridge Court on Desborough Road - is a bigger and more modern replacement for the "isolated" Saunderton Lodge, along the A4010 between West Wycombe and Princes Risborough. 

Much like Saunderton Lodge, it will temporarily house vulnerable families who find themselves homeless.

Bridge Court is made up of 58 one-bed modular apartments, which were constructed off site at Premier Modular's factory in East Yorkshire and then hauled into place, stacked on top of each other to form a three and five-storey building. 

Plans to replace Saunderton Lodge, which well is over 90 years old and has 35 bedsit rooms, were first mentioned back in 2017.

Bridge Court

It was revealed that year that completely overhauling the ageing building was the preferred option but “spiralling” costs of doing so meant the then-Wycombe District Council was forced to look at other locations for temporary accommodation.

Saunderton Lodge

They settled on the Desborough Road car park site despite some fears from councillors that the area was not right due to anti-social behaviour, drugs and prostitution.

Buckinghamshire Council has not yet decided what will happen to the Saunderton Lodge building once all the families have been moved into Bridge Court. 

A council spokesman said builders are in the "final stages of construction" on the new building before each of the apartments, which will have shower rooms and kitchens, are ready to be kitted out. 

The new orange and white hostel has lifts and staircases in the two towers that have been installed.

Plans for the replacement hostel were given the green light by councillors back in 2019, but they criticised the design - which is nearly identical to how it looks now the work is nearly finished - saying it looked like a "penitentiary" with a "fence Trump would be proud of".