‘Woefully inadequate’ parking at 66 new flats being built behind Morrisons

Concerns have been raised over a lack of parking at the 66 new flats being built behind the Morrisons supermarket in High Wycombe.

A total of 58 unallocated car parking spaces will be provided for residents living in the pair of six-storey blocks on Bellfield Road, for which Hill Residential already has outline planning permission.

The lack of parking was criticised during a meeting on Wednesday evening as detailed plans for the rental flats were approved by Buckinghamshire Council’s west area planning committee.

Mark Jeffery, whose property overlooks the site, told the meeting: “You are planning over 100 bedrooms, so I just think 58 car spaces is just woefully inadequate.

“And when you take into account the need for visiting parking, deliveries, service, maintenance vehicles, it is grossly insufficient, and it’ll just cause noise and disturbance for all the people around and businesses as well.”

Mr Jeffery said he spoke on behalf of the Hughenden Valley Residents Association, representing the roughly 290 people who live in the retirement village next to the development site, many of whom he described as ‘elderly and vulnerable’.

The resident argued that it would be inappropriate to build new flats in the ‘industrial’ area of Bellfield Road, stressing that there were also concerns about providing safe and accessible space for young children.

He said: “I do not want to be looking out of my window and witness a child being run over by a heavy goods vehicle. You just can’t build a residential area in the middle of an industrial estate.”

Hill Residential’s plans state that the ‘many local amenities’ within walking distance of the site have allowed it to ‘reduce’ the number of parking spaces planned to 58.

This total will include four disabled bays and electric charging points, while there will also be ‘secure internal storage for 35 bikes, as well as visitor cycling storage.

The council’s own planning officer acknowledged that the number of spaces at the development would ‘fall short’ of those required under the council’s parking standards if they were ‘strictly followed’.

However, she told councillors that the new flats’ close proximity to shops and bus and railway stations meant that the parking arrangements were acceptable.

The officer also claimed that residents of the flats were expected to collectively drive fewer vehicles due to the apartments being 100 per cent ‘affordable housing’.

The new homes include a mixture of 30 one-bedroom apartments, 32 with two bedrooms and four with three bedrooms.

They will replace the current industrial site on Bellfield Road, which is used to store vans, containers and skips.

As councillors approved Hill Residential’s plans on Wednesday, officers attached an informative on the management of parking to the planning consent, although this will not be an enforceable condition.