Easton Street multi-storey car park, High Wycombe

HIW04: Easton Street multi-storey car park, High Wycombe The site as shown on the Policies Map is allocated for a comprehensive mixed-use redevelopment, delivering an assumed number of 160 dwellings alongside approximately 660 sqm flexible commercial and other appropriate town centre uses at ground floor level. Development of the site will be supported where: a) It delivers a high-density residential-led development reflecting town centre location and proximity to the train station. Proposals are expected to deliver a well-designed highdensity scheme that makes good use of a brownfield site. To deliver this, the proposal should explore lower provision of car parking spaces for the new development. b) The setting of the neighbouring Baptist Church is enhanced through revealing more of the flank elevation. c) It reveals and better articulates the side elevation of the Baptist Church where appropriate. d) Elevations that are visible from Easton St should respond to the historic character and established materials palette of the heritage frontage’. e) Use the site’s topography positively, including basement or under croft parking solutions where suitable. f) Provide a high-quality publicly accessible landscaped space within the southern part of the site which forms part of a public realm. g) Provide active and well-overlooked ground floor frontages along Easton Street and key pedestrian routes. h) Incorporate flexible small-scale commercial, community or town centre uses at ground floor level where viable. i) Improve active travel connectivity to the wider town centre and station interchange. j) Deliver a safe, attractive and well surveyed pedestrian and cycle connection between Easton Street and High Wycombe railway station. k) Address the significant flood risk constraints on the site. A safe access and escape must be achievable. If development is proposed within the area at risk of flooding, minimal obstruction measures, such as under croft parking, are likely to be required to raise finished floor levels above the design flood level. Ground raising should be avoided due to the fluvial and surface water risk. 6.336 The site is 0.33 hectares, located off Easton Street in High Wycombe town centre. The area is located on the eastern side of High Wycombe Town Centre and is primarily an office area. It is adjacent to the railway station and within walking distance of the town centre, the Rye, and is a highly sustainable location. 6.337 The area is a mix of historic buildings including listed and locally listed buildings and large office buildings dating from the 1960’s. It is also partly within the High Wycombe Town Centre Conservation Area. 6.338 The area would benefit from comprehensive regeneration and redevelopment. Comprehensive proposals will be expected to make the most of its key location to secure much needed town centre homes, as well as complementary active ground floor frontages such as offices to improve the office “offer” in the town centre. Other main town centre uses would also be considered. 6.339 Redevelopment proposals should also seek to create safe and good quality active travel links to the railway station, including improving Birdcage Walk which runs between the area and the station car park. 6.340 The parking provision has been demonstrated as surplus to requirement and does not need to be re-provided elsewhere. 6.341 The SFRA level 2 indicates that 90% of the site is at low-risk existing surface water flooding, 18% medium risk, 14% high risk. This is based on the multi storey car park on the site which closed in May 2026. With climate change, there is predicted to be a large increase in the percentage of the site which is at surface water flood risk compared to the 1% present day scenario. No fluvial risk or other forms of flooding. Any future development needs to follow the guidelines in SFRA Level 2 site summary sheet for this site design and making it safe over the lifetime. As the development is intended to be mixed use, commercial development or car parking of lower vulnerability should be prioritised as ground floor development, as opposed to more vulnerable residential development. Habitable areas and sleeping accommodation should be located on the first floor or above. 6.342 Redevelopment of the site could present significant risk in terms of flooding. Developers will need to follow the SFRA Level 2 recommendations in terms of site-specific guidance for site design and making development safe.