Unpopular plans to build new homes on a disused former supermarket car park have been given the nod. 

The old car park on Old Kiln Road in Flackwell Heath will now have two pairs of three-bed semi-detached houses and an apartment block with four two-bed flats in it built by Revere Homes. 

The developers will be breathing a sigh of relief that their overhaul of the former car park, which was privately owned but largely used by shoppers at the old Budgens supermarket, has finally been given the go-ahead after a two-year battle. 

They put forward their plans in 2020, but they took it to the Planning Inspectorate because they were fed up with waiting for the council to make a decision.

Bucks Free Press:

The Planning Inspector dismissed the appeal and refused their plans, saying they would “harm the character and appearance of the area”.

So they tried again in February this year, putting forward slightly amended proposals with one less flat planned.

But they hit a roadblock once again at the end of May when the planning committee at Buckinghamshire Council was hit by "significant techical problems" that forced the deliberations to be delayed. 

Finally, a decision has been made - and planning officers have allowed Revere Homes to go ahead with the overhaul. 

This comes despite major concerns from residents and councillors. 

Cllr David Johncock said there was "significant local concern about the loss of the car park" and there was "fresh evidence that the car park is there as a general public amenity and not just associated with one or more of the retail outlets". 

Residents also put forward a string of objections. 

Simon Carter wrote that allowing the building work to go ahead would "result in the permanent and irreversible loss of the main parking privison for Aries House and the wider community" - including those who use the community centre, library, churches, offices, restaurants and schools.

Marilyn Finch said building a small housing estate on the car park would be "gross overdevelopment", adding: "The proposed block of flats would be close and imposing to my garden and is out of keeping with the existing houses and bungalows in Old Kiln Road." 

And Paul Wicks said parking issues are already terrible in Old Kiln Road, saying: "If emergency services came today I don't know how they would get round."

He added: "I don't understand why a block of flats in the middle of the car park can be justified - at best it should be another set of houses. It doesn't matter if it's two storeys in a flat roof it still overlooks everything."