Local councillors have agreed to allow houses to be built on a disused rail line, blocking the chance of creating a strategic link to Heathrow Airport and via Crossrail to London.
A plan to build 26 houses at Wooburn Green will block the old eight-mile line from High Wycombe to Bourne End which could have been reopened to allow trains to run through to Maidenhead and Heathrow.
Wycombe District Council's regulatory and appeals committee agreed on 26 November 2012 to allow the houses to be built, by five votes to four after its chairman threw the casting vote.
According to the Bucks Free Press, planning councillors tried to reject the housing scheme last month, because of the rail line and its potential.
Fears were raised that the reasons given for refusal would not stand up at appeal, which could leave the district council facing a large legal bill if the developers challenged the decision.
Buckinghamshire County Council, the highway authority, said in a letter it would not be able to support the district council.
Wycombe Society member Nigel Phillips had urged councillors to reject the scheme from developer Henry Homes, fearing it could “condemn Wycombe to a car-only economy”.
The county council has failed to safeguard the route of the old railway.
Independent Councillor Gary Hall said: “There’s a public interest in bringing back these tracks.”
Liberal Democrat Councillor Trevor Snaith said he thought the “right thing for the people” would be to stop the application going through.
Councillor Mike Appleyard was the only Tory committee member to oppose the housing scheme. He said: “The council has allowed housing to be built on the route of the railway on many occasions, but that’s not a reason to keep building on the line.
“I object very strongly to what’s going on here.”
Campaigner Nigel Phillips had urged councillors to defer the decision.
He wrote: "Please do not throw away this opportunity for future generations. More commuting will be required but the main roads are already at full capacity."
Another rail campaigner said: "Given East West Rail and other recent rail approvals, this would have been Chiltern Railway's access to Crossrail (at Maidenhead interchange) and into Heathrow.
"It seems astounding behaviour from Buckinghamshire County Council."