An empty High Wycombe site that was once tipped to become Costco could be split up and sold off – with possible plans for another discount food store and McDonald’s drive thru’ restaurant revealed.

The Bucks Free Press told early last year that Costco had pulled out of opening its highly-anticipated warehouse on Cressex Island – between John Hall Way and Crest Road – leaving residents disappointed.

Despite a thriving Next outlet and Costa, Empire Cinema and Frankie and Benny’s within the vicinity, the land has disappointingly remained empty for a number of years.

But new plans are finally being discussed for the long-empty site – with papers to be presented to Wycombe District Council’s cabinet tonight revealing part of the land could be developed into a discount supermarket and drive thru’ restaurant.

The council says the new site would be a “repeat” of their previous Baker Street Aldi scheme – with an added McDonald’s drive thru’.

If the new Aldi is built, it will be the fifth discount superstore in the town to be proposed or built in the town.

There is already an Aldi superstore in Desborough and another planned for Tannery Road in High Wycombe. There is also a Lidl in Desborough and another rumoured for the old Homebase site on London Road and a drive thru’ McDonald’s near Morrison’s and Sainsbury’s.

While the council would let out part of the site to Aldi and McDonald’s, the western two-thirds of it would be sold to developers for “speculative industrial development”.

The latest ideas come after plans to group car showrooms along the John Hall Way frontage – with a proposed discount food store and trade counters – were unsuccessful due to uncertainty in the auto-sector.

In February last year, Cllr Steve Broadbent, who is responsible for economic development and regeneration, said there had been “huge interest” in the site following Costco’s shock U-turn.

The site – which lies close to the M40 – is unsuitable for housing due to noise, pollution and how “windswept” it is and is one of the few pieces of land still owned by WDC that has “significant job-creating potential”, Cllr Broadbent said at the time.

As part of Costco’s agreement with the council, developers had agreed to reconfigure the Crest Road/John Hall Way junction – replacing the busy mini roundabout with a traffic light-controlled junction.

The costs of making the changes is currently being reviewed and updated by the council – and Aldi will either agree to cover the cost of the changes or will be a reduction from the land price offered for the industrial site.

The council report says: “The overall scheme will result in bringing this long-vacant site into beneficial use with the potential to accommodate approximately 150 jobs”.

n What do you think of the plans? Does the town need more supermarkets and fast food restaurants or something different? Email Stephanie.wareham@london.newsquest.co.uk to share your views and suggestions.