PLANNED new business units which could be built as part of a revamp of the former Compair Works site in High Wycombe have been slammed as “cheap and nasty” by councillors.

Wycombe District Council wants to build 12 new business units alongside a six-storey building with 68 flats inside on the Compair site – which is now a private car park - in Bellfield Road.

The council says the new block of flats – which will be all affordable housing - will “regenerate” the area and “successfully connect” the site to the rest of town.

And while councillors on the planning committee, who met on Wednesday night, were largely complimentary of the flats plan, they were less than keen on the business units.

Cllr Alan Hill said the design - which has been inspired by the success of DesBox container city in Baker Street - makes them look “vulnerable to those who want to go in there and steal stuff”.

He said: “We do need start-up units for small businesses but they do look a bit cheap and nasty. I think they will look really out of place because there are some really nice buildings up there.

“They look as if they are very vulnerable to someone who wants to come along with a tin opener and steal stuff.”

Cllr Clive Harriss said they look “a bit third world”, adding: “We are becoming a town full of containers. The last place I would want to buy a flat is next to this. They are very poorly designed and if I was an agent, I wouldn’t even take it on to let.”

Concerns were also raised over the access point to the whole site – with Cllr David Johncock worried about commercial traffic driving past homes to get to the business units.

Cllr Chris Whitehead added: “I can’t believe we are putting forward a plan that forces commercial traffic to go past residential by our design. The commercial should be at the front and residential at the back. I think we are doing it the wrong way round.”

However, planning officer Robert Harrison said if the site was swapped around, it would see housing sandwiched between two industrial estates, which he thought would be “more undesirable”.

And Cllr Neil Marshall said he did not think the business units would generate heavy traffic.

The plans for the six-storey building were approved, however councillors voted to defer making a decision on the business units.