We are delighted to announce that our plans for a new bandroom in Amersham have been approved by a majority decision of the Chiltern District Planning Committee. Band Chairman, Fred Harrison, said “This is fantastic news for the band. We have also signed the lease for the land and so at last we have a firm basis to build a permanent home for the band in the town centre. It has been a long journey to get to this point and we are indebted to many local people and community organisations for their support. The hugely positive response by the public to our planning application has been highly rewarding and shows the importance that the community places on the contribution that we make.”
The site which is at the bottom of Rectory Meadows has a historical link to the band. Caroline Perkins, the band historian, had found newspaper articles which reported that the band had played on the very same site in 1859 for a school festival and in 1911 to celebrate the coronation of King George V.
Although the site is in a sensitive location close to the conservation area, the band’s architects, Brocklehurst, came up with a purpose-built design that fits in with the Old Town buildings and minimises the impact to the green belt.
The band is very grateful to local Councillors Mark Flys, Liz Walsh and Nigel Shepherd who attended the planning committee and spoke strongly in favour of the bandroom plans.