Infamous former Aylesbury council building could be converted into apartments, authority leader says

A huge tower block could be converted into flats with a rooftop bar, Buckinghamshire Council Leader, Martin Tett, has said.

He floated ideas for the future of the council’s offices in the tower block on Walton Street, Aylesbury as he discussed the redevelopment of the town.

He said: “Do we put a wrecking ball through the whole thing? Or do we look to convert it into flats with potentially a bar on the top and a nice vision over the vale for eating and dining?”

The council leader added that this option would be limited by a lack of lifts in the building and stressed that there was “not a simple solution” or a timescale for development.

The council is currently looking for potential partners to help redevelop Aylesbury and is exploring ideas with private investors.

Councillor Tett said: “We will almost certainly need a partner of some form to redevelop the town centre, be that an insurance company, a private equity firm or whatever.”

The comments came after Cllr Graham Harris asked the leader whether there needed to be a better plan for the council’s assets in Aylesbury and the regeneration of the county town during a recent budget scrutiny session.

Councillor Tett said: “What we have been trying to do, is look at a comprehensive plan for the redevelopment of the town centre in Aylesbury.”

He explained that the council had to decide whether to demolish buildings and rebuild or just “tweak” them, by adding cladding for example.

The council’s assets in Aylesbury include the Friars Square Shopping Centre, as well as the County Hall building in Walton Street.

The huge tower housed the offices of the former county council and now stands around a third occupied.

The council also owns the library and Old County offices on Walton Street, as well as buildings around the Market Square, including the old County Hall and court buildings.

The council has previously set out its plans to redevelop Aylesbury, which include partners “committing” to delivering 16,000 new homes by 2033.

Councillor Tett previously confirmed to the Local Democracy Reporting Service that the council is weighing up what to do with several assets, including potentially selling them to fund its capital programme.

This includes the former Chiltern District Council offices in King George V House on King George V Rd, Amersham, which are only at 16 per cent capacity, and are being sold off.