Wycombe District Council adopts planning scheme aimed at revitalising High Wycombe's town centre

28 July 2010

The use of an innovative new local development order, aimed at helping to regenerate High Wycombe's historic quarter, has been formally adopted by Wycombe District Council today (Wednesday 28 July) after receiving government approval.

The High Wycombe town centre local development order (LDO) - the first of its kind in the UK - covers a 0.7hectare block bounded by White Hart Street, Queen Square, Church Street, Oxford Street and Bull Lane. It allows the change of use of ground floor premises within this area to a specified range of uses, without the need to apply for planning permission.

Cllr Jean Teesdale, Wycombe District Council's Cabinet Member for Planning and Sustainability, commented: "This local development order will allow us to take a more flexible approach to use classes and in turn help to revitalise this small but important part of the town which we appreciate has been suffering from a high rate of vacant units in recent months. We are delighted that the government has approved the use of a local development order in High Wycombe's town centre and will be monitoring the success of the scheme very closely over the next three years."

Under the LDO, the ground floor uses that are allowed are:

A1: Shops (includes shops, hairdressers, travel and ticket agencies, post offices, dry cleaners, pet shops, sandwich bars, domestic hire shops)
A2: Financial and professional services (includes banks, building societies, estate and employment agencies, betting shops)
A3: Restaurants and cafes
A4: Drinking establishments (includes public houses, wine bars - but not night clubs)
A5: Hot food takeaways
C1: Hotels
D1: Non-residential institutions (includes art galleries, museums)
D2: Assembly and leisure (includes cinemas, bingo halls, but not night clubs)

The LDO is intended to last for three years, although any changes of use implemented during the next three years can be retained permanently. It only grants permission for this specified list of uses - it does not grant permission for external physical or structural development, nor does it remove the need for listed buildings consent or advertisement consent where appropriate.

This LDO is part of a national pilot project for which the Council has received government funding and the results will be closely monitored through regular surveys. It has been progressed alongside a range of other initiatives aimed at regenerating the town centre, including the work of the High Wycombe Town Centre Partnership, and has received support from local businesses and landlords.