The West Buckinghamshire Area Planning Committee met to discuss planning applications in the area, including a proposal to convert a pub into a house of multiple occupation, which was refused. Councillors also approved plans for new homes in Hazlemere, and replacement fencing at a sports pitch in Cressex.

Planning Decisions

The Happy Union, 265 Boundary Road, Loudwater

Councillors refused an application to convert The Happy Union, a former pub on Boundary Road in Loudwater, into a 16-bed house in multiple occupation (HMO).

The reasons for refusal were:

• Insufficient off-street parking, which would increase pressure for on-street parking and inconvenience other road users.
• Inadequate standard of accommodation for future residents due to a lack of outside private amenity space and limited room sizes.

Councillor Jonathan Waters, a ward member, told the committee that the proposed HMO was not compatible with the local area, which mainly consists of single-occupancy houses and self-contained flats. He also raised concerns about a shortfall of six parking spaces, which would lead to parking on Boundary Road, where parking is already at full capacity.

Councillor Nathan Thomas of Wickham Parish Council, said that the council objected to the planning application for the Happy Union and asked the committee to refuse the application as the proposal failed to meet planning requirements. He said that the application violated policy DM29¹ regarding community assets, and that the proposal represented gross overdevelopment, contrary to policy DM23² and policy DM35³.

Margaret Ross, a local resident, raised concerns about parking issues, traffic levels, and the lack of garden space with the HMOs. She also said that the children's play park across the road would be intimidating to have many adults in this area who clearly would have no children if it's an HMO, and that she would say there would be a safeguarding issue for children of a young age and there's a nursery nearby also.

An agent, Mr Hussain, speaking on behalf of the applicant, said that the scheme was designed to restore the look of the building, and that a BNG report was done to ensure that 10% ecology was introduced to the site. He also said that he had engaged with the highways, and they've agreed that 13 parking spaces for 16 room HMO would be acceptable, especially with additional bike stands which are also to derail the property.

An officer, Heather Smith, told the committee that the council considered that the proposal complied with the policies of the development plan and is recommended for approval.

During a debate, Councillor Alex Collingwood said that the design was fairly innocuous, but it's cramped, it's overdeveloped, and the size of the rooms are really small. He said that to him it's almost like a caught in a pint pot, and that conceptually it's the right idea, but actually what we've been presented with actually isn't very good, and actually for the future residents who are going to live there actually is not going to be a very nice place to live to be honest.

Another officer, Ray Martin, said that the west area of the council cannot provide a five year housing supply, and that therefore under paragraph 11 D of the national planning policy framework, the committee must apply a tilted balance when considering the application or refusal of housing.

Orchard House, Amersham Road, Hazlemere

Councillors approved plans for the demolition of existing outbuildings and construction of 4 x 4-bed detached and 2 x 4-bed semi-detached houses at Orchard House, Amersham Road, Hazlemere. The plans include a relocated access along Amersham Road, car and cycle parking, bin/cycle store, hard/soft landscaping and associated works.

Councillor Catherine Oliver, a ward member, told the committee that she objected to this application which was called in to committee while I was deputy chair of this committee, and that the issues with this amended application centre around highways and compliance or lack of compliance with the Hayes and the neighbourhood plan. She said that she had some concerns about the use of ghost lanes⁴, and that the speed limit along where both of those ghost lanes is 50 miles an hour, and that if that is the case, then the speed limit should be reduced to an urban speed limit of 30 miles an hour and not 50.

Billy Lloyd, a chartered town planner from Warner Planning, speaking on behalf of the applicant, said that the application is the result of collaboration with the case officer, and that the site itself is removed from the greenbelt via the local plan and is located within residential allocation HW8, which looks to provide circa 350 new homes and sets a change in context for the site.

An officer, Jenny Ion, told the committee that the application is recommended for condition conditional permission, but also subject to a planning obligation to secure education contributions towards primary education.

The Cressex Synthetic Sports Pitch Centre, Holmer Lane, High Wycombe

Councillors approved plans for the replacement of existing fencing at The Cressex Synthetic Sports Pitch Centre, Holmer Lane, High Wycombe. The plans include the replacement of the existing 3.6m high corroded mesh fencing to the perimeter of the sports pitch with new ball court mesh fencing 4.5m high and 5m high to the east side.

An officer, Ray Martin, told the committee that the application is in front of you because it's the council's own application, and that we don't have any objections from any party, and the recommendation is for approval.

Other Matters

Councillor Mazamal Hussain was confirmed as the Vice-Chairman of the West Buckinghamshire Area Planning Committee for the Municipal Year 2025/36.

The next meeting will be held on Wednesday 30 July 2025 at 6.30pm.