In September 2005, Wycombe District Council (WDC) published certain consultation documents regarding plans for High Wycombe and surrounding areas. These plans include a possible move of Wycombe Wanderers to a new stadium to be shared with London Wasps.

WDC has been consulting on these topics for some time.
The purpose of this page is to provide a guide to the coinsultation process date.
The information has been sourced from a combination of WDC's website and further research by directors of Wycombe Wanderers Suppporters Trust and Wycombe Wanderers Founders Trust.

WDC is the local planning authority.
WDC has embarked on the production of the Wycombe Development Framework and a revision of the Wycombe Community Plan.
In order to ensure public involvement in planning the future of the District, WDC has stated that it will be holding a number of public consultations where we will be inviting views and comments on the emerging documents.
The ongoing consultation is termed "Imagine the Future".

To date the consultations have been:

Imagine the Future- Part 1
This took place in Spring 2004 and aimed to highlight the issues and topics which were of concern to local residents through events and a District wide questionnaire.
To find out more about Imagine the Future-Part 1, click on the link to WDC Planning below.

Imagine the Future- Part 2
Took place in October to December 2004 and sought views on a number of options put forward for the District as well as asking for suggestions for potential development sites.
The consultation document contained a proposal to remove the Adams Park site from Green Belt.
Whilst the Football Club had been requesting this change for some time, the Club has told the two Trusts that this particular initiative was proposed by WDC itself rather than as the result of any particular representation by the Club.
The stated reason given in the consultation document for this option was:
"Provide increased flexibility to address the issues arising from football and rugby use of the stadium. Exceptional circumstances would have to be demonstrated for this to occur, linked to its increasing role as a major football and rugby stadium."
The consultation document also contains a list of possible options for RAF Daws Hill/Abbey Barn South/Abbey Barn North/New Road Line.
The first of these options states "Could include possible site for a new stadium for Wasps/Wycombe Wanderers. Not to be developed before 2011 and to include provision of new link road to M40 south of M$) and via Highway Depot site."
To find out more about Imagine the Future-Part 2, click on the link to WDC Planning below.
To find out more about the proposal to remove Adams Park from Green Belt, click on Imagine the Future Part 2 - Consultation Document below.

Responses were received to the Imagine the Future Part 2 - Consultation Document
The Trust do not known exactly when these responses were published but it is fair to assume that this was sometime between the end of the consultation process on 6th December 2004 and the start of the Spring 2005 Consultation on 6th May 2005.
Those responses received in respect of the proposal to remove Adams Park from Green Belt can be found starting on Page 76 of the document "Imagine the Future - Part 2 Full Report of Consultation Responses".
Those responses received in respect of the options including the new stadium can be found starting on Page 87 of the document "Imagine the Future - Part 2 Full Report of Consultation Responses".
Neither the Football Club nor London Wasps appear to have made any formal response to this consultation.
To find out more about the reponses, click on Imagine the Future - Part 2 Full Report of Consultation Responses below.

Imagine the Future Spring 2005 Consultation
From 6th May to 3rd June 2005 the Council undertook a second consultation on the emerging issues and options for the Wycombe Development Core Strategy.
To find out more about the Spring 2005 Consultation, click on the link to WDC Planning below.

Imagine the Future- Part 3
From Friday 23rd September to 4th November 2005 the Imagine the Future- Part 3 consultation is taking place.
This consultation represents the next stage of the Wycombe Development Framework and Community Plan preparation processes.
The consultation focuses on the Community Plan-Version 2 and the Wycombe Development Framework draft Core Strategy, draft Statement of Community Involvement and the Allocations and Designations Issues and Options Paper.
To find out more about the Imagine the Future-Part 3, click on the link to WDC Planning below.

In Imagine the Future-Part 3 there are three main statutory Wycombe Development Framework documents being consulted on:

1. The draft Core Strategy (also known as the preferred options stage)
2. The Allocations and Designations Issues and Options Document
3. The draft Statement of Community Involvement (SCI)

These documents can all be found in the Imagine the Future 3 Information Pack, which also includes a number of background papers and the Community Plan Version 2.
To find out more about the Imagine the Future 3 Information Pack, click on the specific link below.

The WDC webpage containing details of the Information Pack contains the graphic below:

Note the rugby stadium to the left in the graphic!
Does this indicate something of the priorities of WDC?

Summary information about the emerging Wycombe Development Framework is contained in a document:
Imagine the Future Part 3: Help Plan Your District Newsletter
This newsletter has been distributed to households in the district.
The newsletter contains proposals with the potential to impact Wycombe Wanderers:
1. That Adams Park could be taken out of the Green Belt; and
2. That Abbey Barn South (see map below) could be developed for a mix of uses, possibly including business, housing and leisure/sport.
The potential development of Abbey Barn South include a stadium for the use of Wycombe Wanderers and London Wasps appears elsewhere (see below).

Abbey Barn South is approximately 5 miles by road from Adams Park, to the South East and adjacent to the M40.
For these specific proposals see the document Imagine the Future Part 3: Help Plan Your District Newsletter, click on the link below (see page 4)

In respect of the Green Belt, the draft Core Strategy document states:
"4.49 In relation to the Causeway Stadium, which is the home of both Wycombe Wanderers Football Club and London Wasps Rugby Union Club, the existence of this stadium in the Green Belt is now anomalous having regard to the purposes of the Green Belt. The adjoining car park area to the south of the built up footprint of the stadium complex, whilst still essentially open in character should be considered alongside the stadium area in the future planning of this area. As a result it is proposed to remove both areas from the Green Belt. Such a proposal in no way dilutes the need to find long term solutions to the transportation and parking problems associated with the stadium."
For this specific proposal see the document Imagine the Future Part 3: Draft Core Strategy, click on the link below (see pages 36 and 37)

The potential development of Abbey Barn South to include a stadium for the use of Wycombe Wanderers and Wasps is one of four options that have been proposed in the discussion paper "M40 Gateway".
For these specific proposals see the document M40 Gateway background paper - part 3, click on the link below (see page 7)

The draft Core Strategy gives the following timetable for the possible adoption of these proposals:

23rd Sept 2005 - 4th Nov 2005	Consultation on Draft Core Strategy - Imagine the Future Part 3
April 2006	Submission of Revised Draft Core Strategy to Government - with opportunity for further public comment.
Octobe 2006	Independent public examination
Mid 2007	Core Strategy Adopted

The M40 Gateway discussion paper refers to the preparation of WDC preferred option which will be the subject of further consultation in 2007. This will follow the current consultation exercise that ends 4th November 2005 and also detailed consideration of the transport aspects.

As shown above, planning and consultation on the future of Wycombe, including those items that impact Wycombe Wanderers directly, have been evolving for some time. Nevertheless, the process has some way to go and any move to a new stadium is probably several years away.

Not withstanding these timescales, the possibility of a ground move is likely to develop into a major issue in the coming months. It would impact the Club in a significant way and therefore will be of interest to all supporters. You are encouraged, subject to eligibility, to join both Trusts (see links below) in order that you might be better informed on this matter and also to ensure that your views are effectively represented in the debate and are used to influence any subsequent decisions.

	www.wycombe.gov.uk Website of Wycombe District Council
	WDC - Planning Website of Wycombe District Council - Planning
	Imagine the Future Part 2 - Consultation Document Regeneration/Area Options See Site Ref No. 10 for proposal to remove Adams Park from Green Belt See Site Ref Nos. 17 - 20 for option of a new stadium for London Wasps/Wycombe Wanderers
	Imagine the Future - Part 2 Full Report of Consultation Responses See page 76 for responses re proposal to remove Adams Park from Green Belt and See page 87 for responses re proposals including new stadium.
	Imagine the Future Part 3 - Information Package
	Download the Wycombe District Council document Imagine the Future Part 3: Help plan your District Newsletter as one Adobe Acrobat file Right click on mouse button and select Save Target As ... to download the document Note: This is a large 11.4MB file. Each individual page of the document is available as smaller single files via the link above. Page 4 contains the references to taking Adams Park out of the Green Belt and developing Abbey Barn South for a mix of uses including business, housing and leisure/sport.
	Download the Wycombe District Council document Imagine the Future Part 3: Help plan your District Newsletter Page 4 only as one Adobe Acrobat file Right click on mouse button and select Save Target As ... to download the document Note: This is a large 1.4MB file. Page 4 contains the references to taking Adams Park out of the Green Belt and developing Abbey Barn South for a mix of uses including business, housing and leisure/sport.
	Imagine the Future Part 3 - Draft Core Strategy See Part 1 pages 36 and 37 for the proposal to remove Adams Park from the Green Belt
	M40 Gateway background paper For the option that proposes a new stadium for Wycombe Wanderers Football Club and London Wasps see page 7 of Part 3
	*** Join the Supporters Trust *** Click here for link to application details
	Founders Trust The Board of Wycombe Wanderers Supporters Trust urges everyone who is eligible to join Wycombe Wanderers Founders Trust in addition to joining the Supporters Trust - see here for links between the two Trusts
	Return to Wycombe Wanderers To Move Ground?
	The latest news on the Supporters Trust
	Adobe's Website - to download Adobe Reader
	Information page on the Supporters Trust
	Supporters Trust Home Page