Rivals bids compete to develop town centre

8:45am Thursday 14th June 2001

TWO multi-million pound bids to change the face of Amersham town centre are to compete for public support.

Rival developers met with chiefs from Chiltern district and Buckinghamshire county councils on Tuesday night to submit plans to give the town a fresh lease of life.

New facilities on the drawing board include a modern library, a huge retail development, a major community centre and a Marks and Spencer food store.

The schemes will go to public consultation but only one will get the go-ahead as both have earmarked the same area of council-owned land, the corner of Chiltern Avenue and King George V Road, for development.

Two Amersham churches are involved in the rival deals. St Michael and All Angels Church would gain a brand new 300-seat church if Manchester-based developers Peel Holdings get the green light. They want to transform the town centre with an £8m cash injection.

The first phase of the project would include a new 18,000 sq ft M&S food store as part of a 37,000 sq ft shopping development on the corner of Sycamore Road and Woodside Road.

Under the scheme, Amersham's present library would move from the corner of Chiltern Avenue and King George V Road to above the proposed new retail units, making room for the new church.

The rival project comes from The Kings Church in High Street which has drawn up a £3m plan to develop a major community building at the site of the present library.

The new centre would include a 500-seat auditorium, facilities for worship, dances and concerts. A new library would be build adjacent to the new centre.

Alan Goodrum, chief executive of Chiltern District Council, said: "At this stage there are no favourites and the council must be even-handed in its approach."

Editors Choice