Amersham demolition work continues despite rejection of supermarket proposals
A demolition is continuing at Buckinghamshire Council’s former offices in Amersham, with large sections of the building torn down despite plans for a Lidl supermarket on the site being refused.
New photographs of King George V House show exposed rooms, damaged roofs and piles of rubble as machinery dismantles the former office complex.
The Buckinghamshire Council sign remains attached to a surviving section of brickwork, while surrounding walls have been removed, revealing the building’s interior.
Metal fencing covered with green mesh separates the demolition site from the pavement, with warning signs stating demolition is in progress. Scaffolding and timber boarding remain around parts of the structure.
The work follows the council’s decision that prior approval was not required to demolish the vacant complex, which closed in 2024. Planning documents described a cluster of two, three and four-storey buildings, with a nuclear bunker beneath the main block.
They said hazardous materials, including asbestos, would be removed before an internal “soft strip” and the staged dismantling of the buildings down to ground slab level.
The demolition previously prompted concerns from a resident about dust and the handling of solar panels. The Health and Safety Executive confirmed it received a concern about work at the site at the beginning of September. At the time, a spokesman said the matter was being processed but declined to comment further.
The resident claimed solar panels had been damaged and mixed with demolition rubble, and raised concerns about what appeared to be dust emerging during the work.
In response to those concerns, Lidl previously said all solar panels had been safely decommissioned before removal using specialist machinery.
It said damaged panels had been separated from other material and disposed of through the appropriate waste electrical and electronic equipment route.
The company also said dust-control measures included water-suppression equipment attached to machinery, ground-based suppression and live monitoring units.
Lidl said the fine water mist produced by the equipment could be mistaken for dust in photographs. The council also confirmed receiving a complaint. Demolition contractor UDCS Ltd did not respond to the earlier request for comment.
Meanwhile, the demolition follows the refusal of Lidl’s supermarket application in May 2026. The proposals attracted 165 objections and 212 expressions of support.
The council said the scheme represented an “inefficient use” of the land, which could accommodate a more intensive mixed-use development, such as a supermarket alongside housing.
It also criticised the design, saying the proposed store would sit too far back from the street, with surface parking dominating the frontage and weakening the street scene.