IT’S that time of the week again where we reveal the most interesting planning applications determined by or submitted to the Royal Borough of Windsor and Maidenhead and Slough Borough Council.
It’s a new year meaning new applications coming forward that could change the neighbourhood near you.
In this week’s edition, plans to add a log cabin in Chalvey, a developer makes a return to transform a garage block, and approved plans to build six houses on a green belt site all feature.
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Construction of one flat with undercroft to provide parking and provision of existing garage for proposed flat following demolition of garages 10-15 at Garage Block, Maidenhead Road, Windsor (21/00089/FULL).
Developers are at it again in attempts to demolish and replace the existing garages 10-15 with a new garage block and first-floor accommodation.
The applicant said the existing garages are in need of repair works/replacement and believes the roofs are made out of asbestos – sparking safety concerns.
The proposed accommodation over would look to create a one-bedroom flat accessed by the courtyard space and would be self-contained.
Parking was a main issue in the previous application – but the applicant has proposed in this revised scheme to offer a separate parking provision to the new flat by way of a garage on the opposing side and within the existing garage block.
Construction of nine apartments and new boundary treatment with associated parking and amenity space at land adjacent to 33A, the Crescent, Maidenhead (20/03261/FULL).
The Royal Borough received an application for nine flats to be built on the edge of Maidenhead town centre.
The building comprises four two-beds and five one-bed units with three dedicated parking spaces and amenity space.
Parking policy states an application of this magnitude would need ten spaces, but the applicants say the Crescent will provide on-street parking to fill this gap.
The applicants – who went to appeal following previous refusal – sought to rectify concerns from the previous scheme.
They say this application has covered most of these concerns such as providing an even better layout – which responds positively to the site – protected trees and the plot boundaries.
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Construction of a log cabin at the Chalvey Working Mens Club, High Street, Chalvey, Slough (P/03396/009).
The council approved the modest garden cabin to be built at the rear of the property in line with a number of other properties and garages in the surrounding area.
It will be used primarily as activity rooms for play and different recreational activities by the club and wider community.
The log cabins are positioned behind an existing wall next to the garages, providing a secluded location.
Parking and pedestrian access to the site remain unchanged.
In the design and access statement, the applicant said this will play a “positive role” for Slough residents, saying: “In light of the current Covid 19 pandemic the club would like to provide coffee mornings and social events for all ages and to help overcome the effects that have been caused by the lockdown.
“It may take a while for the Slough Residents and the businesses to fill the health and economical dent caused by the pandemic. Therefore, the Log Cabin is being proposed for such activities and manage a better social distancing can and to prevent the main Club becoming crowded.”
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Change of use of the ground floor from a pub to a cafe/restaurant at The Horton Arms, Stanwell Road, Horton, Slough (20/02946/FULL).
The Horton Arms – which is a Grade II listed building – has not been running as a pub since June 2018, but the proposal seeks to transform it into a restaurant/café to serve food, mocktails, and desserts for all to enjoy.
Food will be served from lunch to dinner and the applicant plans on introducing breakfast for the community.
The building was put on the market and launched in June 2018. The sale completed in October the same year and has not been running as a pub since then.
The ground floor and garden area are still to be open to the community for days out and even private functions.
Televised sports events will be shown and advertised for the local community to watch alongside their meal to allow families and friends to socialise for their desired events. Private functions can be organised allowing for in-house catering and entertainment.
The interior and exterior layout and decorations will remain unchanged in keeping with the style and age of the property.
Planning officers at the Royal Borough gave approval to this application.
Construction of six houses following demolition of existing dwelling and outbuildings at Hatchet Lane Farm, Hatchet Lane, Ascot (20/02271/FULL).
The Royal Borough gave planning permission for developers to build six new homes on the green belt despite objectors’ pleas.
This would involve demolishing an existing house and its associated outbuildings, including a barn.
When building on green belt, developers need ‘very special circumstances’ to outweigh the impact.
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The applicant believes this scheme does mitigate this impact by replacing an old bulky barn with a new ‘sympathetically’ new house, new tree, hedge, and other landscaping planting, and biodiversity enhancements to ‘create an open channel’.
They also said the provision of new additional housing should outweigh this harm as well.
However, neighbours thought the opposite and strongly opposed to the scheme.
One resident – who has been living in the adjacent property since 1975 – said: “The construction of these new additional dwellings will increase traffic volume at what is often a busy and dangerous intersection at the junction of Forrest Road and Hatchet Lane/Winfield Road.
“Accidents are already not uncommon and tragically include a death in January 2019.”
Another resident argued approving the works on the green belt goes completely against the council’s planning policy on protecting and safeguarding the green belt.
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