The pioneering High Wycombe town centre LDO covers a 0.7-hectare block bounded by White Hart Street, Queen Square, Church Street, Oxford Street and Bull Lane.
It allows the change of use of ground-floor premises within this area to a specified range of uses, without the need to apply for planning permission.
Councillor Jean Teesdale, cabinet member for planning and sustainability, said: “This measure will allow us to take a more flexible approach to use classes and in turn help to revitalise this small but important part of the town which we appreciate has been suffering from a high rate of vacant units in recent months.”
Under the LDO, the ground-floor uses that are allowed are:
* A1: shops (includes shops, hairdressers, travel and ticket agencies, post offices, dry cleaners, pet shops, sandwich bars, domestic hire shops)
* A2: financial and professional services (includes banks, building societies, estate and employment agencies, betting shops)
* A3: restaurants and cafes
* A4: drinking establishments (includes public houses, wine bars – but not night clubs)
* A5: hot food takeaways
* C1: hotels
* D1: non-residential institutions (includes art galleries, museums)
* D2: assembly and leisure (includes cinemas, bingo halls, but not night clubs).
The LDO is intended to last for three years, although any changes of use implemented during the next three years can be retained permanently. It only grants permission for this specified list of uses – it does not grant permission for external physical or structural development, nor does it remove the need for listed buildings consent or advertisement consent where appropriate.
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