Community leaders lament the loss of an £8m plan to revitalise Amersham

1:31pm Friday 25th January 2002

LOSING out on an £8 million plan was a tragedy for Amersham-on-the-Hill say some community leaders.

Eric Springate, chairman of the Amersham Action Group, which supported the plan, said: "The residents don't really understand that it would have been a chance in a lifetime."

The scheme put forward by Peel Holdings would have included a modern library, a Marks & Spencer food store and a community centre to be built on an area of council-owned land on the corner of Chiltern Avenue and King George V Road.

It would also have meant St Michael and All Angels Church moving from its freehold site in Sycamore Road either to a new building on the library site on the corner of Chiltern Avenue and King George V Road, or above the shopping development.

The church has now decided it wants to stay on its current site to remain at the heart of the community and because it felt the developer's financial offer, according to independent advice, was not enough to allow for the replacement of the church buildings and vicarage.

This could open the way for another plan which was also being considered for the same site.

Kings Church has drawn up plans for a £3 million community centre and a new library on the current site of the town's library in Chiltern Avenue.

The scheme has now become prime bidder for the site and will be one of the options considered when Buckinghamshire County Council and Chiltern District Council meet in private to discuss the town's future.

Mr Springate said the Peel Holdings scheme was the last shot at developing a focal point for Amersham as there would be no more space for developments.

He said: "Everyone says the same thing, that Amersham-on-the-Hill does not have a focal point and that is why we wanted an anchor store which would be the start. Once Marks and Spencer came into the town the rest would follow suit."

He said the only other possible sites would be the Royal Mail depot in Hill Avenue, but says they wouldn't move because it would cost them millions of pounds to find other premises.

The other option would be the builders merchant behind St Michael and All Angels church, but Mr Springate believes they wouldn't be able to find another site to suit them.

He doubted that a new community centre was really needed and a hotel would do more for the town as it would bring in tourism.

Marks & Spencer said that it would still like a store in the town but accepted this would not be in the foreseeable future.

The leader of Chiltern District Council, Cllr Donald Phillips, said he felt sure the future of Amersham lay in the hands of the traders who were already there.

He said: "I was worried about another food store [Marks and Spencers]. I think people thought they would be able to get their knickers and clothes from there, but to have another food shop when you already have quite a lot, I am not sure it would have been well-received. The shop keepers should support the revitalisation and reflect on what the shoppers want. They need to help themselves."

He added that he would like to utilise the council-owned Chiltern Avenue library site and develop it to become a youth facility.

The Kings Church will be making a new proposal for the site at the meeting as he said the last plan 'had holes in it'.

Cllr Brian Guest, the mayor of Amersham, said he would have liked the new development.

He said: "I only hope the proposed meeting of councils will come up with additional finance that will satisfy the church's requirements."

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