Wycombe: ‘Refuse’ plans to turn Chilterns Centre into flats, says Environment Agency

Plans to turn High Wycombe’s Chilterns Shopping Centre into flats should be refused, the Environment Agency (EA) has said.

The public body has objected to Dandara Living’s plans to transform the dying retail hub on Frogmoor.

In October, the developer applied for permission to partially demolish and redevelop the site to provide new commercial units and 303 apartments.

But the EA has taken issue with flood risk assessments submitted by Dandara, saying the latest document still does ‘not satisfactorily address’ concerns it raised in January 2024.

It said: “We therefore maintain our objection in principle to this application and recommend that planning permission is refused.

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“Please also note that in our previous response we stated that should this in principle objection be overcome we would also have an objection based on technical detail.”

The EA made the comment in its latest submission to the Buckinghamshire Council planning portal for the application.

Parts of the application site are located within Flood Zone 3b, the EA said, as it responded to a risk assessment submitted in May.

It said: “The applicant has also failed to acknowledge that part of the more vulnerable ‘residents amenity space’ located in Block C is in the functional floodplain extent.

“The applicant has also failed to acknowledge that residential use is being proposed on the upper floors in areas within the functional floodplain.”

It added that these residential areas may not be inundated entry/exit routes could be blocked, presenting a ‘danger to residents’.

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