A Buckinghamshire town is expected to see 303 new homes purpose-built for renters if plans are approved.

The Chilterns Shopping Centre in High Wycombe could be demolished within the next couple of years if plans to build new homes and retail space are approved by the council. 

After months of preparation and rounds of consultations, the developer Dandara Living officially submitted plans in October.

Here is a roundup of what the Chilterns Shopping Centre plans entail.

Bucks Free Press: The plans include a pedestrian walkway open to the public between Frogmoor and Priory Road.The plans include a pedestrian walkway open to the public between Frogmoor and Priory Road. (Image: Dandara Living)

What are the plans?

 

Dandara Living is seeking to redevelop the Chilterns Shopping Centre, a 1980s retail site mostly sitting empty after businesses have moved out.

The developer is seeking permission from Buckinghamshire Council to demolish the shopping centre, partial demolishing the rear of the existing building frontings on Frogmoor, Church Street and Queens Square, building of 303 new apartments and new commercial business and service units.

The proposal also includes building of ancillary residential amenity areas, including a concierge and residents’ lounge, cycle and car parking, plants, landscaping and enhancements to the public realm and improvements.

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The front of 3-4 Queen Square, a protected Grade II listed historical building, will be retained, with alterations carried out internally to provide residential apartments.

Development of Frogmoor is part of the plan, with the developer proposing to enhance the area with new materials, larger areas of soft landscape and a small events space.

At first, Dandara proposed to built 313 new homes, but the number of units has since been dropped to 303 following consultations with residents and stakeholders.

If approved, there will be 145 one-bedrooms flats, 153 two-bedrooms flats and five three-bedroom apartments.

No affordable homes are in the cards because “costs associated wit the demolition and clearance of the site,” the plans said.

Rental prices of the new homes are based on average rental prices within the local area.

For parking, the developer has proposed 90 car parking spaces and 12 disability parking bays plus storage for 344 bicycles.

A new pedestrian avenue with trees and plants will link Priory Road and Frogmoor. 

What happens next?

 

Chilterns Shopping Centre is set to remain open until July 2024, the developer said.

However, many businesses have decided to already exit, including Air Raids Shelter Cafe, which moved only down the road to the former Sosh Club building, Wilko due to the firm’s collapse and Primark, which announced plans to relocate to the ground floor of House of Fraser in the Eden Shopping Centre.

Some businesses in the shopping centre claimed they hadn’t been told about the redevelopment plans, which Dandara denied, claiming in turn tenants were given a single point of contact to discuss the redevelopment and discuss any concerns.

Buckinghamshire Council will decide the timescale for considering the application, likely to be in the new year. 

Members of the public can make representations to the application via the council's planning platform, including letters of support or objection.