THE Supreme Court has declined a bid to quash Legoland Windsor’s planning permission to create on-site accommodation on Green Belt land.

In June 2017, the resort submitted a planning application to Royal Borough of Windsor and Maidenhead for its long-term plan.

This includes building a Holiday Village with lodges in a woodland setting, resulting in more families staring overnight in the borough.

Over the past 30 months, Merlin Entertainment couldn’t proceed with its multi-million-pound investment at Legoland due to activists challenging the plans.

This included countryside charity CPRE Berkshire, which tried to take the planning application to the Supreme Court, as the resort plans to build on Green Belt land.

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Now the park can finally begin with its building plans.

Helen Bull, divisional director of the Legoland Windsor Resort, said this result has been a long time coming.

She said: “When the Royal Borough’s development management panel resolved, in 2018, to grant consent for this scheme, no one could have envisaged that we would have had to wait almost four years to start getting it underway.

“A significant element of the Resort’s long-term plan is our Holiday Village proposals, we can’t wait to start work on this project, and we hope to start welcoming families to the Holiday Village in 2024.”

But CPRE Berkshire is disappointed because its hopes of crushing the plans has failed.

David Over, of CPRE Berkshire, said: “We were granted leave on three grounds at the Judicial Review stage, and five grounds at the Appeal stage.

“In both instances the arguable point of law was sufficiently high for the courts to consider the application.”

Mr Over added RBWM planning officers were correct in recommending refusal but it wasn’t upheld by the planning committee.

He said: “The fragile and ancient beech and oak woodland ecosystems of Windsor Forest are of national and international conservation significance, represented by Windsor Forest and Great Park’s status as a Site of Special Scientific Importance, and Special Area of Conservation under the Habitats Regulations.”

CPRE Berkshire described the area as a “much-loved and local place valuable to people and wildlife”.

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Ms Bull added that the work will bring many benefits to the Royal Borough, including new jobs and greater footfall.

But she explained the delays mean they now need to update the long-term plan to ensure it meets the resorts future needs.

“We are determined that the Resort continues to make a meaningful contribution to the local economic recovery,” Ms Bull said.

“Finally, our thanks to the Royal Borough for, once again, successfully defending its decision to grant planning permission.

“It was important that this resolution by elected councillors was upheld, justice has prevailed and now this investment can finally start to get underway.”