Work due to start on key High Wycombe Town Centre scheme

It’s part of a package of significant investment in High Wycombe Town Centre. The council has allocated £3.1m to enhance the layout and appearance of White Hart Street with new paving, trees, seating and planters, introducing more greenery and establishing a more continuous theme with surrounding walkways through the town. The aim is to make White Hart Street a destination in its own right, where people spend longer making the most of the area and the excellent shops available; the improvements will also mean businesses can provide outdoor seating for their customers.

High Wycombe is subject to a wider programme of improvements as part of the council’s overall vision for regeneration in Buckinghamshire, focussing on enhancing our much-loved market towns to make the most of their heritage whilst modernising the space to make it fit for modern life and the needs of residents and businesses.

In High Wycombe the council is investing several million pounds alongside using the Future High Streets Fund to upgrade and relet empty shops, regenerate ‘gateway’ buildings such as the Brunel Shed and the old Liberal Club and to retain key retailers in the town centre such as Primark and Tesco. These schemes include:

• reworking the current Tesco building in Denmark Street to keep Tesco on the ground floor and redeveloping the first floor into a new home for the county’s archives that the public can visit
• improving Red Lion Walk – the walkway from the Swan Car Park into the High Street along the Three Tuns Pub where a beautiful Swan mural is now on the car park wall

Rachael Matthews is Buckinghamshire Council’s Deputy Cabinet Member for Town Centre Regeneration. She said:

“Enhancing our Town Centres is a key focus for the council and I’m really keen that the residents and businesses of High Wycombe feel the impact of our changes and improvements. We’re using the Future High Streets Fund and other money to invest heavily in High Wycombe town centre. The aim with the White Hart Street investment is for it to become a destination in its own right rather than the ‘cut through’ that it is now. We’ve worked hard to retain Tesco in the town centre too to bring more people into High Wycombe increasing footfall and opportunities for all businesses in the area. With considerable investment from the private sector also in the pipeline in High Wycombe, subject of course to the necessary planning permissions being in place, we are very positive about the future prospects of the town. This is about investment alongside enhancing the general appearance of the town as well as making the most of its heritage and assets. With great shopping, the Swan theatre and the university, it’s the thriving market town it should be and the public areas will also reflect that.”