£500k funding to clean up disused land at Bassetsbury Lane, High Wycombe

Matthew Clark | February 19, 2018

Wycombe District Council offices. (Archive picture)

£500k has been awarded to Wycombe District Council from the Land Release Fund (LRF) to help clean up land at the Bassetsbury Triangle site in Bassetsbury Lane, High Wycombe for new more affordable homes.

Launched by the Ministry of Housing, Communities & Local Government in 2017 the LRF aims to fund site remediation and small-scale infrastructure projects that will help bring sites forward for housing that could not otherwise be developed.

The £500,000 funding will be used to improve ground conditions at the Bassetsbury Triangle site in High Wycombe.

At Bassetsbury Triangle the sub-strata conditions mean that it is not feasible to develop the site for conventional housing. Wycombe District is instead proposing to develop the site for 40 single storey park homes to provide a more affordable form of housing for more people, particularly those looking to downsize.

The proposals, which were recently the subject of a public consultation, will soon be the subject of a planning application submission which will reflect local residents’ concerns about traffic impact and ecology.

Cllr Katrina Wood, Leader of Wycombe District Council, said: ‘We always knew that remediation works to bring the Bassetsbury Triangle site back into use would be costly, so it’s great news that we’ll be getting a helping hand through our successful bid from the LRF.

We need to make the best use of available sites to provide much needed, more affordable housing for local people.‘

In his letter to the council confirming the funding, Dominic Raab MP, Minister of State for Housing, said: ‘We are looking forward to working with you to progress Bassetsbury, which will release much needed land for new homes, and I welcome the ambitious plans for growth set out in your bid.‘

Further information about Wycombe District Council’s proposals for the development of the land at the Bassetsbury Triangle site can be found at www.wycombe.gov.uk/bassetsbury.