Johnson and Johnson to leave Wycombe

US pharmaceutical giant Johnson & Johnson is set to leave its High Wycombe offices and relocate to Maidenhead.

The move has been blamed on changing working patterns, with more employees choosing to work remotely rather than coming into the office on Holmers Farm Way.

That shift has prompted Johnson & Johnson to rethink its office space, with plans to merge its two offices into a single site in Maidenhead town centre and shut its Wycombe base in 2026.

Plans have now been submitted by Legal and General Assurance (Pension Management) Ltd to demolish the existing 1980s office building and redevelop the site for industrial and distribution use.

In planning documents, the applicant argues the redevelopment would ensure the site continues to support economic growth, while providing sustainable buildings.

It says the existing four-storey office building would no longer represent a viable or sustainable use once Johnson & Johnson vacates the site.

The 11-acre site lies beside the M40, close to homes and Holmers Farm Recreation Ground.

The proposals seek permission to demolish the existing building and redevelop the site with five industrial and distribution units, including ancillary office accommodation, service yards, parking, landscaping and associated works.

The applicant says the buildings have been designed to be similar in height to the existing structure and arranged to minimise the impact on nearby homes by orientating service yards away from neighbouring residential areas.

They argue the scheme would deliver “significant” employment opportunities, replacing many of the jobs expected to be lost as a result of Johnson & Johnson’s relocation.

Planning documents estimate the development could support the equivalent of between 230 and 350 full-time jobs once fully operational, depending on the type of businesses that move into the units.

During construction, the project is expected to support around 100 jobs on average, as well as a further 150 indirect roles, with the build programme forecast to take around 20 months at an estimated cost of £31 million.

The development is also expected to add between £12 million and £18 million to the economy each year once occupied, as well as around £800,000 annually in business rates.

As part of the plans, a public drop-in consultation event was held at High Wycombe Judo Centre in September last year.

Issues raised included concerns over lorry movements and overnight parking, the condition and capacity of local roads and sewers, noise from alarms at the site, operating hours and the ability of large vehicles to manoeuvre safely at nearby junctions.

Eight written responses were submitted at the event, with views described as mixed. While some respondents supported redevelopment of the site, others raised concerns about traffic, noise and pollution, the type of businesses that could occupy the units and the potential for 24-hour operations.

Planning documents say the developer intends the units to be suitable for small to medium-sized businesses rather than large-scale logistics operators.