Marks & Spencer has unveiled plans for a new foodhall between Amersham and Little Chalfont, prompting mixed reactions from residents.
The retail giant has submitted proposals to Buckinghamshire Council for a single-storey store on 1.36 hectares of land north of White Lion Road.
The scheme would provide a store with a gross internal area of 2,772 square metres, including 1,897 square metres of sales space, alongside 193 customer parking spaces and 13 spaces for staff.
Plans also include electric-vehicle charging bays, 12 cycle spaces, five trolley bays and a dedicated service yard.
Drawings show a barn-inspired building with three asymmetrical gables to break up its scale and reflect the area’s agricultural character.
Its exterior would feature moss-green aluminium cladding, a zinc roof and extensive glazing facing the car park, while rooflights would bring daylight into the checkout area.
The store would be pushed back from White Lion Road, with the applicant claiming this would make it “less visually polluting” within the sensitive setting.
A native hedge measuring 1.5 metres high is proposed along the road, alongside hazel scrub and tree planting designed to soften the development and boost biodiversity.
Existing public rights of way would be retained and incorporated into pedestrian routes across the site.
The application documents say the foodhall would serve both Amersham and Little Chalfont and benefit from bus, rail and road links, including the A404.
They also argue that the scheme would create a sustainable, accessible and high-quality retail destination serving the community.
Buckinghamshire Council will decide whether the development can go ahead.
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