A LEADING councillor fears plans to build a major shopping area on a key site could spell the end of the Western sector development in High Wycombe.

Members of Wycombe District Council discussed the plans to build a 4,000 square metre retail area on the contaminated gas works site in Desborough Road, High Wycombe, at a planning meeting last Wednesday.

Councillors voted to give outline planning permission to the development by a narrow margin but many were opposed to the plans and felt the land was an essential part of the Western Sector and should be used for roadways.

The £90 million Western Sector development includes two department stores, a library, a bus station and a civic square.

Cllr Anthea Hardy (Lab, Downley) said: "This is goodbye Western Sector in my opinion.

"We should be thinking and re-thinking the calculations for the Western Sector because it is under threat, instead of squabbling about party politics.

"If we want to serve the people of this town we have got to think about the infrastructure. We can in no way get away without putting any infrastructure in.

"I must keep on pushing this because the future of the town depends on it. Desborough Road and Princes Street are extremely narrow and are cluttered with buses. Unless we get a straight-ish road through there, there will be an enormous problem later."

She added: "It is another nail in the coffin of the poor old Western Sector."

Cllr Nigel Vickery (Lab, Booker and Castlefield) said: "I have grave concerns about this. I don't think the roads are good enough to deal with what we have got. I think it is a bitter, bitter shame that all these developers can see is retail.

Cllr Chris Oliver (Con, Princes Risborough) said: "One of the main features of the scheme is to give a reasonable width road in place of a rather narrow road. I think we have to accept the realities of life sometimes and grant the applications in front of us."

Concerns were voiced about the fact that the site is contaminated with hydro-carbons.

Cllr Oliver said: "We need an assurance that the contamination which is there will not leak out whatever the works are.

Philippa Jarvis, a planning officer for the council, said: "The county highways authority are satisfied with this application and that would take into account all developments including the Western Sector."