Buckinghamshire Council to market key High Wycombe site as part of regeneration plans

The site, currently used as council offices, has become surplus to operational requirements following the formation of the unitary council and after the decision to relocate the council operations to a newly refurbished building on Denmark St made in July 2024. The proposed disposal of the site is intended to generate a capital receipt and unlock significant development potential in the heart of High Wycombe.

Councillor Robert Carington, Buckinghamshire Council’s Cabinet Member for Resources, said:

"We’re on an exciting transformation journey in High Wycombe and this is another piece in the jigsaw that keeps the Council’s ambitions for High Wycombe moving forward. Marketing the Queen Victoria Road site is a proactive step that supports our strategic vision for High Wycombe. This site offers a unique opportunity to deliver high-quality homes, business space and public realm in a prime location. It’s part of our commitment to regenerating the town, attracting investment and creating places where people want to live, work and visit. It also offers our residents the best value for money – it is better to repurpose and rejuvenate an underused site in such an important location than to keep it as an under-used building on a site that could be working harder and offering much more to the town."

The site forms part of the council’s Eastern Quarter regeneration area and is expected to contribute to the strategic aims of the adopted High Wycombe Regeneration Strategy. The council has already invested £3.1 million in transforming the White Hart Street area and is spearheading a number of other flagship projects, with over £15 million being spent on High Wycombe overall. The council offices will move into the revamped Denmark Street site, ensuring a council presence and customer access point in the heart of the town.

Other key regeneration projects in High Wycombe include:

• The Denmark Street project, which retains a key retailer in the town centre and will see council operations move to the site with a brand new space to host the county’s fascinating archives
• The conversion of the former Liberal Club, an important ‘gateway’ building that will house the Wycombe Museum Chair Collection
• The Brunel Shed which has been brought back into use for the community after decades of neglect
• Significant work on the new Buckinghamshire College campus in the heart of the town
• A complete upgrade of the CCTV network
• New and thriving Sunday markets
• The creation of a new cultural hub to further develop the town’s cultural offer and to attract even more visitors and host more cultural events