Nathaniel Lawson

The former under-fives’ playground in Lowndes Park, Chesham, is being dismantled after safety inspections found significant rot and several unsafe pieces of equipment. The area was fenced off in April, but repeated breaches of the barriers prompted the council to remove the structures using its own Parks Team to reduce costs. Community group Love Lowndes is fundraising for a replacement playground, which is hoped to be installed around spring 2027.

Dr Challoner’s High School has applied to Buckinghamshire Council to replace boundary fencing and install new vehicle and pedestrian gates at its Little Chalfont site. Heritage documents argue that the work would have a virtually imperceptible, neutral effect on nearby listed buildings, including Beel House, Beel Lodge and Hances Cottage. Other local planning applications include converting a Marlow shop for womenswear brand Hush and installing a Johnson’s self-service laundry kiosk at a Tesco store in Princes Risborough.

Buckinghamshire Council has approved Nationwide Building Society’s plans to install a defibrillator and bleed-control kit in secure cabinets outside its High Wycombe branch. The equipment will be available 24 hours a day and is expected to have a neutral heritage impact and significant public benefit despite the branch’s location in a conservation area. The installation is part of Nationwide’s programme to equip all 605 branches by the end of the year, delivered with Visa and supported by St John Ambulance training.

Campaigners Ian Morton and Paula Lee tore up a Conservative leaflet promoting the party’s record on protecting green spaces while construction continued on Taylor Wimpey’s 544-home Gomm Valley development near High Wycombe. They said the leaflet was misleading and insensitive to residents witnessing the loss of the valley’s landscape. Buckinghamshire Conservatives defended their record, saying councillors had opposed the original proposal at a public inquiry and that Buckinghamshire Council spent about £350,000 fighting it. The party said the later approval could not be overturned by the emerging Local Plan and blamed increased housing targets imposed by the Labour Government for pressure on the county. The development includes a community centre, land for a primary school, and employment space expected to support at least 52 jobs.

Demolition has begun at Buckinghamshire Council’s former King George V House offices in Amersham. The site has been fenced off, stripped internally and prepared for staged demolition, including hazardous-material removal and asbestos work. The demolition is proceeding after the council determined that prior approval was not required, despite refusing Lidl’s proposed supermarket in May 2026. The council said the proposal would use the land inefficiently, offered poor design, and failed to provide a more intensive mixed-use development that could include housing.

Buckinghamshire Council refused plans for a 280-metre acoustic barrier, up to 3.5 metres high, alongside the A413 near Amersham Farm in Chalfont St Peter. Although the applicant argued it was necessary to reduce traffic noise affecting a newly approved home, planners found that its height, length and continuous form would substantially harm the openness of the Metropolitan Green Belt, the Lower Misbourne Settled River Valley and the setting of Chalfont Park House. The council also cited inadequate ecological, heritage and tree information, while the parish council objected to the barrier's scale and appearance.

Prolonged dry weather has caused a second consecutive year of poor harvests across Buckinghamshire, with arable yields down about 30% and livestock farms using winter feed during the summer. Alex Nelms of the Berks, Bucks and Oxon National Farmers’ Union said Kensham Farms’ empty 800-tonne grain store represented an estimated £160,000 to £200,000 in lost revenue, while farmers continued to bear normal production costs. Low confidence and financial stress are prompting farms to reconsider crop choices, including planting more oilseed rape, while greater cooperation between neighbouring farms through crop sharing, labour sharing and manure-for-straw arrangements could help them manage the pressure.

Amersham and Chalfont Hockey Club says delays by Buckinghamshire Council in deciding its planning application for two artificial pitches, fencing and floodlights are jeopardising its construction timetable, increasing costs and hindering fundraising. The club says it agreed to an extended determination deadline of 30 April but was still awaiting a decision more than three months later. Buckinghamshire Council says the application was initially invalid because information on ecology and flooding was missing, and that the site faces complex Green Belt and environmental constraints. The council says the additional information has now been accepted and that it expects to determine the application within the next few weeks.

Retired Marlow architect Crispin Wride has proposed a steel “Wave Bridge” to replace the closed Temple Footbridge over the River Thames. His design would reuse the existing piers and foundations, provide gentler approaches and river-view balconies, and potentially last at least 120 years. Wride argues that a timber replacement or short-term repair would offer poor long-term value and hopes the design’s landmark character will attract public and private funding. The Environment Agency, which is responsible for the crossing, is considering several replacement options and has not yet responded publicly.

Buckinghamshire Council has approved Red Kite Community Housing Limited’s plan to demolish 26 disused garages on Clifford Road in Princes Risborough and build five two-bedroom homes for affordable rent, with 12 parking spaces and associated landscaping and facilities. Residents objected over parking capacity, congestion, flooding, overlooking, tree and habitat loss, and access concerns. Council officers judged the parking provision sufficient, considered the development to generate fewer vehicle movements than the garages’ lawful use, and gave added weight to new housing because the council lacks a five-year housing land supply. Development is subject to archaeological, drainage, landscaping, lighting and construction-management conditions.

Buckinghamshire Council approved Fam Developments Ltd’s plans for eight homes—four flats and four houses—on land north of Seymour Court Road in Marlow. The site was allocated for residential development after being removed from the Green Belt, although it lies within the Chilterns National Landscape. Despite objections about landscape impact, traffic, parking and pedestrian safety, officers found the scheme acceptable and highways officials raised no objection. The development will provide 17 parking spaces, a new footway and financial contributions, including £156,957 toward affordable housing, and is subject to 17 planning conditions.

Buckinghamshire Council approved illuminated BYD signage at the existing Advance Motors dealership on London Road, High Wycombe. The plans replace Vauxhall branding with BYD logos, service lettering and a roadside totem. No public or councillor objections were received, while highways officials supported the application subject to brightness limits to prevent glare. The approval concerns advertising only and does not formally authorize a change in dealership operations; consent expires after five years.

More than 700 people have signed a Stoke Poges Task Force petition calling on Buckinghamshire Council to restart the leasing process for land at South Buckinghamshire Golf Course and Farnham Park Playing Fields. The group argues residents were not adequately informed that the lease could enable a largely private Wycombe Wanderers training complex, including an indoor dome, pitches and fencing, and says part of the public golf course could be permanently lost. The council rejects the argument, maintaining that the proposed lease is consistent with the original public notice and charitable sporting purposes. It says the development would still require full planning permission and public consultation, while bringing investment and improved facilities to the site. Wycombe Wanderers had not responded by publication.

Drivers complained that an unmarked closure of Hammersley Lane near The Old Queen’s Head in Tylers Green forced motorists into a difficult turnaround bottleneck. Cadent Gas said it had closed the road after reports of a gas escape and acknowledged that advance warning signs were installed late. The company said repairs were completed safely, gas supplies were unaffected, and the closure was expected to be removed by Wednesday evening or Thursday morning, with road reinstatement continuing afterward.

Buckinghamshire Council approved Greene King PLC’s application to install a 98-inch wall-mounted television on an external wall of The Marlow Donkey pub in Marlow. Marlow Town Council, councillor Anna Crabtree and neighbours had raised concerns about noise, increased outdoor patron activity and anti-social behaviour. The council also approved Red Kite Community Housing’s plans for a dropped kerb and parking hardstanding in High Wycombe, but refused an application to demolish a bungalow and build a self-build dwelling in Chesham because its height, bulk and modern design were considered inconsistent with the area’s rural character.

Toscaig Ltd has submitted an outline application to Buckinghamshire Council for up to 170 homes on 9.8 hectares of Green Belt land beside Nashleigh House in Lycrome Road, Chesham. The proposal includes 50% affordable housing, commercial or community space, play areas, walking and cycling routes, more than 2.7 hectares of public open space and at least 10% biodiversity net gain. The developer argues that the site qualifies as grey belt and that Buckinghamshire’s housing-land shortage supports the scheme. Most details would be decided later if outline permission is granted. The plans have grown from approximately 150 homes in an earlier consultation, while a proposed sports pitch, pavilion and car park have been removed.

Buckinghamshire Council rejected Little Missenden Parish Council’s application to have a long-used footpath between Watchet Lane and Parish Piece in Holmer Green recorded as a public right of way. Although residents provided evidence of use from 1947 until gates were locked around 2020, officers found that historical notices identifying the route as private interrupted the required period of continuous public use. They also concluded that much of the relevant use between 1969 and 1989 involved school access rather than a public right of way. The parish council can appeal to the Planning Inspectorate within 28 days.

Buckinghamshire Council plans to market Terriers End Car Park in High Wycombe to find a tenant after an options appraisal. The 24-space car park is currently free, generates no council income, is used heavily by local businesses and has experienced problems with abandoned vehicles. The council has not identified a prospective tenant or explained how the site would operate in future, including whether motorists would still park there free of charge.

Berkeley Strategic Land Ltd has applied for outline permission to build up to 80 homes, including 50% affordable housing, on a 13-acre green belt site at Heath End Farm in Flackwell Heath. The Environment Agency objects because the application does not adequately demonstrate that groundwater risks, including those associated with a historic landfill, deep borehole soakaways, dewatering, infiltration and piling, can be managed. The Chiltern Society also opposes the scheme, citing green belt loss, permanent loss of agricultural land, congestion on Heath End Road and Spring Lane, pressure on medical services and possible M40-related traffic noise. The developer argues the site should qualify as grey belt land suitable for development.

Buckinghamshire Council has approved plans to use Phoenix Hall, a Hazlemere scout hut, as an alternative education centre for up to 30 children aged roughly equivalent to Years 6 to 11 who cannot attend mainstream school and are awaiting special-school places. The facility will operate during weekday term-time hours alongside evening Scout activities. Residents raised concerns about parking, congestion, noise and emergency access, but council officers concluded that the road network and on-site parking could accommodate the additional use. The approval requires at least one native tree to be planted before the educational provision begins.

Motorists and Independent councillor Trevor Snaith say faded lane lines, turning arrows and stop markings on High Wycombe’s A40 London Road are creating safety risks and accuse Buckinghamshire Council of delaying maintenance until markings become critical. The RAC says deteriorating markings are a nationwide concern, with drivers reporting near misses and overshot junctions. The council rejects the suggestion that markings are being neglected, saying highway inspectors monitor them routinely and that repairs are assigned to specialist contractors when needed; residents can report urgent concerns through Fix My Street.

Mid Buckinghamshire MP Greg Smith has criticized Thames Water over a burst main on Peters Lane in Monks Risborough that residents say has been flowing for about a month and has turned part of the road into a river. Smith said he had reported the leak, along with other leaks across his constituency, but accused the company of responding too slowly, particularly while customers face higher bills and a hosepipe ban. Resident Christian Harris said repeated reports and assurances from Thames Water had not led to repairs. Smith also cited a recent leak in Longwick and urged residents to report further problems so he could raise them with the company.

A listed building application proposes repairing a bowing stained-glass window at High Wycombe’s Grade I-listed Guildhall and installing a reversible, powder-coated stainless-steel wire guard to reduce the risk of vandalism. The protective measure was requested by councillors and supported by the council’s heritage team. The Guildhall was built in 1757 by architect Henry Keene at the expense of the Earl of Shelburne.

Hazlemere voters will elect one parish councillor for the Hazlemere North ward in a by-election on August 20. Independent candidates Bal Chauhan, Simon Cowen and Nigel Gough are contesting the seat. Gough previously stood unsuccessfully in the Hazlemere South by-election, which Chris Wilson won with 64% of the vote on a 12% turnout. Chauhan is campaigning on community cooperation and quality of life, while Gough has pledged to improve street lighting, maintenance, responsiveness and financial transparency; no campaign information was available for Cowen.

Residents near Bovingdon Airfield Studios in Chesham were warned to expect loud bangs, simulated gunfire, vehicle movements and moving searchlights during overnight filming rehearsals on August 6 and 7. Mammoth Productions Limited said the blank ammunition contains no projectiles and poses no danger, while the searchlight effect will be created with lighting equipment rather than a helicopter. Equipment testing was also scheduled earlier in the week. The production company notified police and said it would seek to minimize disruption, but it has not disclosed what is being filmed.

Hickory's Smokehouse plans to convert the Crooked Billet pub on Uxbridge Road in Iver into a Tennessee- and Texas-inspired barbecue restaurant, expected to open in spring 2027. The pub is scheduled to close in November, with the redevelopment including a bar, outdoor area, veranda, booths, live sport and an open chef's bar. The company says the project will represent a significant investment and create up to 90 jobs while supporting current staff.

Buckinghamshire Council is facing a judicial review challenge over aspects of its revised Hackney Carriage and Private Hire Licensing Policy, approved on March 19 and scheduled to take effect on September 1, 2026. The claimant and specific grounds of challenge have not been disclosed. The council is defending the claim and continues preparations, including stakeholder communications, staff training, system updates and revised guidance, unless the court directs otherwise.

A bleed-control kit and defibrillator will be installed in secure cabinets outside Nationwide’s branch at 34 High Street in Marlow after Buckinghamshire Council granted planning permission. The equipment, supplied by St John Ambulance, will provide 24-hour public access. The plans were submitted before a man in his 30s was stabbed during a disorder near The Old Brewery. Marlow Town Council raised concerns about the cabinets’ height, but the council found they would not obstruct pedestrians or harm the conservation area or nearby heritage buildings.

Opposition councillors accuse Buckinghamshire Council’s draft Local Plan of concentrating development in the north of the county while protecting the southern Green Belt, creating a north-south divide and failing to provide adequate infrastructure, affordable housing and scrutiny. The council says the plan responds to nationally imposed housing requirements for 91,000 homes, was developed through extensive consultation, distributes growth across the county and includes more than 500 infrastructure schemes. A public consultation is open until September 6.

Buckinghamshire Council’s West Area Planning Committee said it would have refused plans for 57 homes off Thame Road in Longwick, despite lacking the power to formally determine the application after the developer appealed against non-determination. Councillors objected to the predominantly greenfield site’s expansion into countryside outside the settlement boundary and to the absence of a Section 106 agreement securing affordable housing and infrastructure. The developer argued that western Buckinghamshire has an acute need for more homes, while local representatives and residents cited excessive housing growth, loss of privacy and harm to the plan-led system. The Planning Inspectorate will make the final decision.

Buckinghamshire councillor Phil Gomm warned that swearing, rudeness and ineffective leadership are becoming a growing problem in some parish and town councils. Speaking to Buckinghamshire Council’s Standards and General Purposes Committee, he criticized chairs and clerks who fail to perform their roles, though he did not identify specific councils or individuals. Mel Woof of the Buckinghamshire and Milton Keynes Association of Local Councils said improved education and chairing-skills training could help, while acknowledging that poor behaviour cannot be eliminated entirely. She warned that misconduct discourages capable people from participating in local government and called for sanctions with greater practical force.

Buckinghamshire Council has ordered the Phone & Vape Store at 8A High Street, High Wycombe, to remove bright red, solid security shutters installed without planning permission. The council said the shutters detract from the High Wycombe Conservation Area and harm the setting of nearby listed buildings, with no public benefits outweighing the impact. The enforcement notice was issued on July 28 and is due to take effect on September 1 unless appealed, after which the responsible parties will have three months to remove the shutters and debris.

Buckinghamshire Council’s West Area Planning Committee approved plans for a part first-floor side extension and single-storey rear extension at a house on Totteridge Road, High Wycombe. Neighbours objected over overlooking, loss of privacy and the development’s proximity—less than a metre from the adjoining property—while councillors Julia Wassell and neighbour Zahid Iqbal argued that it would significantly affect the neighbour’s home. The applicants said they had repeatedly amended and set back the design to address concerns and create space for their growing family. Councillors Michael West and Clive Harriss supported the revised proposal, and the committee approved it in line with officers’ recommendations.

Buckinghamshire Highways is consulting on plans to remove 15 trees along Eskdale Avenue in Chesham after an arboricultural survey found that they obstruct the footway and have damaged pavement surfaces and kerbs. The proposal would reconstruct the pavement and affected carriageway sections, creating wider, safer routes for pedestrians and wheeled-mobility users. Replacement trees would be planted at nearby sites, with residents invited to submit views by 11:59 p.m. on August 24, 2026.

Thames Valley Police has lodged a holding objection to Marks & Spencer’s proposed single-storey foodhall between Amersham and Little Chalfont. The force says the adjacent footpath, poor sightlines, unclear CCTV and lighting arrangements, and insufficient security measures could create opportunities for crime and anti-social behaviour, particularly outside opening hours. Police have asked for revised plans or further information addressing surveillance, fencing, access control and the management of vulnerable areas. Marks & Spencer argues the development would provide a sustainable and accessible retail destination, while Buckinghamshire Council will decide whether planning permission is granted.

Nando’s has applied to Buckinghamshire Council to refurbish and modestly expand its restaurant at Beaconsfield Services. Proposed changes include a reconfigured dining area, new seating, a delivery pod and hatch, updated serving and cooking areas, an enlarged back-of-house space, and redesigned outdoor seating with a retractable roof and glazed windows. Operating hours and existing licensing conditions, including the requirement that alcohol be sold only with a meal, would remain unchanged. The application is open for consultation until August 20.

Buckinghamshire Council received 307 suspected-fraud referrals, 91 more than the previous year, representing an increase of about 42 per cent. Auditors said the rise largely reflected greater fraud awareness, improved reporting channels and closer cooperation with housing and adult social-care teams, while noting that not every referral involved actual fraud. Completed investigations generated £100,239.47 in cashable savings, including £63,000 recovered through the National Fraud Initiative and £13,000 linked to adult social-care work. Auditors gave the council reasonable assurance that it was fraud-aware but stressed that management remained responsible for maintaining effective anti-fraud controls.

David Drever won the Marlow North and West by-election for the Conservatives, defeating Liberal Democrat candidate Catherine Johnson by 1,076 votes to 801, a majority of 275. Turnout was 27%, with 1,877 valid votes counted from 1,882 ballot papers issued. The contest followed former councillor Paul Burden’s resignation for family reasons. Marlow Conservatives and Conservative MP Joy Morrissey welcomed the result, while Residents for Marlow said it had not fielded a candidate to avoid additional costs and because it considered the Liberal Democrat candidate suitable.

Buckinghamshire Council has instructed parking enforcement officers to make regular visits to areas around schools amid repeated concerns about dangerous and inconsiderate parking during drop-off and collection times. Cabinet member Steve Bowles said expanded staffing, outsourced enforcement arrangements and a new CCTV camera car are improving road safety and accessibility. Marlow councillor Alex Collingwood reported a marked increase in enforcement and asked when the camera car would operate in the town. Bowles said he would accompany officers after the new service had settled in, while councillors will be able to identify parking hotspots for enforcement teams.

Buckinghamshire Council has approved the refurbishment of the vacant 3 Globeside office building in Marlow after a major High Wycombe occupier expressed interest in leasing the entire site. The council has not identified the prospective tenant or disclosed the confidential financial terms, but says the move could retain long-term employment in Buckinghamshire and generate rental income. The refurbishment, funded from council capital reserves, is intended to improve the building from an EPC D rating to EPC B, while the tenant would fund its own fit-out.

Hazlemere Parish Council is seeking bids for an £80,000 overhaul of the Hazlemere Recreation Ground playground. The project would remove existing equipment and safety surfacing and install a modern, low-maintenance and inclusive play area for children aged two to 12, with physical, sensory, social and imaginative features. Plans also include redesigning the nature trail and potentially replacing the adjacent zip wire for users up to age 16. Tenders will be assessed on play value, design, value for money, accessibility, durability and delivery capability, with contract award expected on September 16.

Buckinghamshire Council’s cabinet member for health and wellbeing, Isobel Darby, described the transition after several day-centre closures as “hugely successful,” despite substantial anxiety among vulnerable users, families and staff. The council closed or repurposed some centres while retaining and upgrading four others with new equipment and improved facilities. Some families had strongly opposed the changes, but Darby said the remaining centres were well populated and receiving positive feedback. Further work is planned to convert part of an Aylesbury centre for respite care.

Independent Chesham Town Councillor Richard Storey has resigned from the Vale ward, saying he was repeatedly excluded from important discussions and could no longer represent residents effectively. He cited concerns over the transparency of talks about the Elgiva Theatre’s possible relocation, alleged that the Liberal Democrat-controlled council approved a public statement without full-council consideration, and criticized communication about the Elgiva Café’s closure. Storey also raised concerns about the treatment of councillors and the impact of relocation rumours on theatre staff, while praising council officers and reaffirming his commitment to Chesham.

Buckinghamshire Council has published its draft Local Plan for a final six-week consultation covering development through 2045. The plan provides for around 91,000 homes without allocating new housing or employment sites in the Green Belt, using a brownfield-first strategy that includes town-centre redevelopment, two new settlements and eight strategic extensions. More than 500 infrastructure projects requiring at least £6 billion have been identified. Council leaders criticized the Government’s housing target and called for funding to support transport, schools, healthcare and utilities. Consultation responses will be considered by an independent planning inspector before the plan is examined.

Residents and campaigners held a vigil at Finnamore Wood to oppose Zafiro Homes’ installation of a high steel fence around the woodland, arguing it blocks historic footpaths and harms the environment. They criticised Buckinghamshire Council for not enforcing protections and failing to act on concerns over tree removal and wildlife disruption. Zafiro Homes maintains the woodland is private, the footpaths are not legally recognised, and the fencing is required for management, safety and security. The council confirmed the fence exceeds permitted height but said planning permission would likely be granted, making enforcement inappropriate.

Buckinghamshire Council unveiled a five‑year corporate plan focused on expanding opportunities for residents, promoting sustainable growth, strengthening communities, supporting vulnerable people and improving service quality. Leader Steven Broadbent emphasized ambition for the county despite financial challenges, highlighting the council’s aim to enable residents to thrive. Progress will be reported publicly through regular updates and annual reports.