44 Bell Street Princes Risborough Buckinghamshire HP27 0AD

1. 1.In the opinion of the Local Planning Authority, this proposal would result in the loss of a ground floor commercial unit, and would create an inactive and dead frontage within the Princes Risborough Town Centre Boundary, the Princes Risborough Primary Shopping Area and the Princes Risborough Secondary Shopping Frontage. As result, this proposal would deter passing trade and would be detrimental to the vitality and viability of the Princes Risborough Town Centre, as a whole. This proposal is therefore contrary to Policy CP6 (Securing Vibrant and High Quality Town Centres) of the adopted Wycombe District Local Plan 2019 and Policies DM7 (Town Centre Boundaries); DM8 (The Primary Shopping Areas) and PR2 (Secondary Shopping Frontages: Princes Risborough) of the adopted Delivery and Site Allocations Plan 2013, and Section 7 of the NPPF.
2. 2.In the opinion of the Local Planning Authority, this proposal, by virtue of its increased scale, bulk, form and height, together with the loss of the ground floor commercial unit and the creation of a dead frontage, would be wholly out of keeping with the more traditional grain of development in the area and neither conserves nor enhances the character and setting of the surrounding Princes Risborough Conservation Area. Furthermore, this proposal would detract from the setting of the adjacent Baptist Chapel Hall. As a result, this proposal would cause less than substantial harm to a designated heritage asset and the setting of a non-designated heritage asset, which would not be outweighed by the modest public benefit of three additional residential units. This proposal therefore fails to comply with Policies CP6 (Securing Vibrant and High Quality Town Centres), CP11 (Historic Environment) and DM31 (Developments Affecting the Historic Environment) of the adopted Wycombe District Local Plan 2019, and Section 16 of the NPPF (2024).
3. 3.In the opinion of the Local Planning Authority, the proposed development would fail to meet the minimum nationally described internal space standards for proposed Flat 6, fails to provide any form of private open space or any of the proposed residential units and fails to demonstrate that adequate provision could be made for bin and cycle storage. As such, this proposal would provide a poor standard of accommodation for future occupiers, contrary to Policies DM33 (Managing Carbon Emissions: Transport and Energy Generation); DM35 (Placemaking and Design Quality) and DM40 (Internal Space Standards) of the adopted Wycombe District Local Plan 2019.
4. 4.By virtue of its size, siting, height and position of habitable room windows, this proposal would appear as an overbearing and unneighbourly structure which would result in a significant loss of light, outlook and privacy to the existing and proposed residents at No's 44, 46 and 48 Bell Street and an unacceptable loss of privacy for existing residents in St John's Court. As such this proposal is contrary to Policies CP9 (Sense of Place) and DM35 (Placemaking and Design Quality) of the adopted Wycombe District Local Plan 2019.

From the council's decision notice.

Postcode

HP27 0AD

Application type

Full Application

Scale / size

Small

Parish

Princes Risborough

Date validated

9 February 2026

Consultation expiry

18 March 2026

Consultation start

10 February 2026

Consultation end

3 March 2026

Neighbour consultation start

10 February 2026

Neighbour consultation end

3 March 2026

Last date for comments

18 March 2026

Target decision date

6 April 2026

Agent

Andrews Eades Chartered Surveyors

Agent address

20 Cornmarket Thame OX9 2BL

Statutory period

56 days

Last advertised

20 February 2026

Advertisement expiry

13 March 2026

Site notice start

25 February 2026

Site notice end

18 March 2026

Documents

12