Shopping centre to be turned into 300 flats

Plans to demolish a shopping centre and build 303 flats have been approved by a council despite concerns over parking and straining local health services.

Dandara Living's application to redevelop Chilterns Shopping Centre in High Wycombe, Buckinghamshire, was unanimously voted through by Buckinghamshire Council.

A separate £15m regeneration scheme agreed by the authority will develop the Eden Shopping Centre, to make it the town's primary retail destination.

"Well done to the officers for bringing this to fruition. It has been a long time in the making," said Lesley Clarke, a councillor on the authority, who addressed Wednesday's meeting.

The Chilterns Shopping Centre opened in 1987 and has been in slow decline for years.

The future of its remaining tenants, such as the phone shop CM Communications and Mannat's Hair and Beauty, has remained uncertain, with Dandara recently extending their leases to December 2025.

The development will provide "build to rent" flats and carry out refurbishment of historical buildings and six retail units, Dandara said.

Catherine Oliver, a Conservative councillor on the authority, said Dandara's plans were "exciting", but that she and other committee members had "reservations", including that none of the 303 flats would be affordable housing.

Clarke also questioned the impact on local NHS services due to all the extra patients.

The development "cannot be absorbed by the nearby GP practices", according to the Buckinghamshire, Oxfordshire and Berkshire West Integrated Care Board.

The board objected to Dandara's proposal unless the development was "fully mitigated", and it suggested a financial contribution of £286,016 to help fund services.

Mark Turner, an Independent councillor on the authority, said he took issue with the 102 car parking spaces proposed being allocating "on a first come, first serve basis", which he said sounded like a "recipe for disaster".

Lucy Bellinger, the council's planning officer, said: "Despite the heritage harm, there would be clear public benefits of the scheme that outweigh the harm."

Rachel Allwood, Dandara's planning director, told the Local Democracy Reporting Service the company was "delighted" after its plans were approved by a unanimous eight votes.

"The redevelopment will play a key role in the significant transformation of this part of the town centre and will hopefully act as a catalyst for further investment into the town.

"The doors aren't closing yet and we would ask the local community to continue supporting the businesses which operate at the Chilterns," she said.

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