TWO multi-million pound schemes to change the face of Amersham town centre have sparked warnings that Chesham could die as a retail centre.

The gloomy outlook comes after rival developers met with chiefs from Chiltern District and Buckinghamshire County councils this week to discuss a range of new facilities for Amersham-on-the-Hill.

Far-reaching plans include a huge new retail development, a modern library, a Marks and Spencer food store and a major community centre, to boost trade and businesses in the town.

But community leaders and traders in neighbouring Chesham are worried that any such scheme could finish off their shopping centre which is already struggling in the face of changing shopping habits, pedestrianisation and high business rates.

Chesham town councillor Pauline Wilkinson said: "I think it will kill off Chesham, I really do, but good luck to Amersham. It will take trade away from Chesham. People will not come to Chesham if they can get what they want in Amersham. It's wonderful for Amersham, but it won't help Chesham at all."

The two schemes, in which two Amersham churches are separately involved, are set to go to public consultation next week.

Only one will get the green light as both submissions involve the same area of council-owned land on the corner of Chiltern Avenue and King George V Road.

St Michael and All Angels Church would gain a new 300-seat church if Manchester-based Peel Holdings wins with its bid to bring a 18,000 sq ft M&S store to the town.

The store would form the main part of a new 37,000 sq ft shopping centre on the corner of Sycamore Road and Woodside Road.

Under this £8m scheme, Amersham's library would move to a new home above the new retail units to make room for the new church.

The rival project has been drawn-up by The Kings Church, which wants to build a £3m community centre and a new library on the current site of the town's library in Chiltern Avenue.

Chiltern district councillor Derek Lacey (Residents' Association, Pond Park Chesham) agreed that the M&S scheme would kill off Chesham.

Cllr Lacey, who also sits on Chesham Town Council, explained: "This is great news for Chiltern but it's going to take trade out of Chesham and we are hard hit enough. If you get an M&S, people are not going to shop in Chesham, they're going to shop in Amersham. I think it's going to harm Chesham very much. The retail trade is bad enough in Chesham."

Susan Ashdown, who manages Chesham's Waterside Sandwich Bar, said the developments would not effect her trade but added: "Retailers in Chesham are under a great deal of strain so everything must be considered. We could do with an M&S in Chesham."

Most of the fears in Chesham stem from the town's slump in trade which followed the opening of a Tesco superstore in Old Amersham in the 1990's.

However, Maggie Cannon, Chesham town manager, believes any Amersham-on-the-Hill development will benefit Chesham.

She said: "Whatever goes on on in Amersham and Chesham is good for the other when there's investment going in."