The West Buckinghamshire Area Planning Committee convened to discuss planning applications and related matters. Councillor Sarfaraz Khan Raja was scheduled to chair the meeting. The committee was expected to review planning applications for developments at Station Court and land adjacent to Hilltop, as well as note the minutes of the previous meeting.

Planning Application: Station Court, Station Road, Bourne End

The committee was scheduled to consider a full planning permission application for the erection of a three-storey side extension at Station Court, Station Road, Bourne End. The application, submitted by Metrix Developments Limited, proposed the creation of three 2-bed self-contained flats, along with associated car and cycle parking, bin storage, and landscaping works. Alterations to the existing building, including additional windows and balconies, were also included in the proposal.

The planning officer’s report recommended that the application be permitted, noting that Buckinghamshire Council could not demonstrate a five-year supply of housing¹, and therefore a tilted balance should be applied in favour of new housing provision. The report also stated that the proposed development would be in keeping with the design and appearance of the host property and would have no adverse impact on the character of the surrounding area, the amenities of adjacent residents, or highway safety.

However, Councillors Penny Drayton, Sophie Kayani and Stuart Wilson had requested that the application be referred to the planning committee, raising concerns that the proposal did not overcome the reasons for refusal of a previous appeal, and citing issues such as the size and design of the development, lack of off-street parking, loss of character, and potential impact on neighbouring residents.

The report noted that a similar application had been refused in June 2022, and a subsequent appeal dismissed due to concerns about loss of privacy and insufficient drainage information. The current application differed from the previous submission in that the proposed windows facing towards Southbourne Drive would be obscure glazed, and further drainage and ecological information had been submitted.

The report stated that the council's Highways Officer had raised no objection to the proposal from a highway safety point of view, and that the issue of parking provision had been addressed by the Planning Inspector at the previous appeal, who found the level of parking provision to be acceptable.

The council's Environmental Health Officer had advised that each flat could be subjected to noise from railway activities and that a scheme for protecting each unit from this external noise source was required to be submitted.

The report also noted that the applicant had submitted a ground investigation report and a further water calculation report which demonstrated that surface water infiltration was possible on the site.

The council's ecologist had reviewed the amended ecological information and was satisfied that the statutory provision of Biodiversity Net Gain² could be provided together with a satisfactory level of ecological mitigation.

Planning Application: Land Adjacent Hilltop, Hammersley Lane, High Wycombe

The committee was also scheduled to consider a permission in principle application for residential development of two residential units on land adjacent to Hilltop, Hammersley Lane, High Wycombe. The application, submitted by South Point Projects & NK Developments (No 4) Ltd, also included the construction of a footpath from Hammersley Lane into land allocated under Policy HW6 of the Wycombe Local Plan³ and provision for land transfer of green infrastructure land, allocated under Policy HW6 of the Wycombe Local Plan. The planning officer’s report recommended that the application be refused, stating that the application site was located in the Green Belt⁴ and was considered to fall within the definition of Grey Belt⁵. The report stated that the proposed development would be sited in an unsustainable location and as such represented inappropriate development in the Green Belt.

Councillor J Waters had requested that the application be referred to the planning committee, raising concerns that the development would be inappropriate in the Green Belt due to its unsustainable location. Chepping Wycombe Parish Council had also requested that the application be referred to the committee, arguing that it would be an inappropriate over-development of Green Belt land.

The report noted that a similar application had been refused in May 2023, and a subsequent appeal dismissed in August 2024.

The report stated that the council's Highway Authority had raised no objection in principle to the application, but that it was uncertain whether the proposed pedestrian footpath would connect to proposed footpaths as part of the neighbouring Gomm Valley development.

The council's ecologist had raised a holding objection, stating that an updated Preliminary Ecological Appraisal was required to decide on the outcome of the application.

Other Matters

The committee was also scheduled to note the minutes of the meeting held on 2 July 2025, and to confirm members' availability to undertake site visits if required.