Plans have been submitted to demolish Amersham’s former council offices after the site was sold to supermarket chain Lidl.

Lidl has lodged an application with Buckinghamshire Council seeking permission to knock down King George V House, the former offices of Chiltern District Council, on King George V Road.

The site consists of a cluster of two, three and four-storey office buildings, including a nuclear bunker in the basement of the main block.

The offices are vacant and have been described as “in disrepair” and “at the end of their economic life.”

Planning documents submitted by Lidl’s demolition contractor, Demcom Ltd, say the works will begin with the removal of hazardous materials such as asbestos, followed by an internal “soft strip.”

This phase will involve removing non-structural fixtures including doors, frames, windows, flooring, pipework, electrical fittings, and furniture to allow for safe demolition.

Once the interior is cleared, the main steel-framed structures will be dismantled using heavy demolition excavators equipped with specialist shears and selector grabs.

The process will be carried out in stages, taking down the buildings bay by bay until they are reduced to ground slab level. Brick and block infill walls, cladding, and steel frames will also be removed.

If approved, demolition work is expected to begin on 5 January 2026 and last approximately 14 to 16 weeks.

To ensure public safety, 2.4-metre-high timber hoarding will be erected around the perimeter of the site before work begins.

Heras fencing will be installed to secure active work areas, while a single point of access will be maintained off King George V Road.

Gates will be kept locked when the site is unattended, and warning signs will be displayed along the boundary.

Working hours will be Monday to Friday, 8am to 6pm, and Saturday, 8am to 1pm, with no work permitted on Sundays or bank holidays.

Demcom says the chosen methods, using a combination of hand tools and mechanical equipment, will minimise vibration and noise.

The supermarket giant has now also submitted plans to build a new store on the former council office site.

If approved, it would be Lidl’s first store in the area, also serving residents in Chesham Bois and Little Chalfont.

However, the sale has sparked anger among some residents, who say they were told over more than two years that the brownfield site would be redeveloped for housing.

Cllr Mark Roberts criticised the sale, saying: “But not only is it now not going to be housing, residents feel let down that Even Group have been able to make a quick profit that should have benefited the council.”

In response, Cllr Robert Carington, cabinet member for resources, said the council sold the site to The Even Group in February 2025 after receiving assurances that it would be redeveloped for housing, including affordable homes, in line with planning policy.

He said the sale met the council’s legal duty to achieve best value, and that the subsequent resale to Lidl is now a matter for the planning process, where residents will be able to comment on the new application.