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Child Graddon Lewis has developed a scheme for the historic furniture district within High Wycombe, formerly revered as the furniture manufacturing heartland of the UK. The site forms part of a Conservation Area, is centrally located within this Buckinghamshire market town and comprises of six disused industrial buildings, including the famous ex-G Plan factory.
The strategy was to retain, and revitalise the architecturally historic and landmark elements, repurposing these to accommodate new uses. This informed the creation of 228 new homes and a design that encourages long-term, sustainable economic growth and a clear focus towards the regeneration drive in the wider Desborough area of the town – a neighbouring, culturally-rich residential area and lively retail district in the heart of the town centre.
On achieving planning, Cllr Tony Lee, with over 20 years’ worth of service for the local authority, went on record within the local and national media to state the practice’s design was the “most exciting planning application I have had the pleasure of looking at.” Additionally, the practice’s role within the project led towards assisting the council in amending its planning policy.
