Mixed response to 91-flat design
Maidenhead: Homes planned for industrial estate
A plan to build 91 new flats in Maidenhead has received a mixed response so far from Maidonians.
Bellway Homes Ltd wants to build the flats in Vanwall Business Park, a large industrial site in Vanwall
Road with a variety of twofour storey office buildings.
The company proposes to demolish the existing building on the site, Mattel House, a 3,086sqm twostorey office which is currently vacant.
It previously occupied the headquarters of Mattel UK Limited, a toy manufacturer firm.
Mattel House is surrounded mainly by commercial properties, while the business park itself is surrounded by residential dwellings and a few small green spaces.
The new buildings would be in the form of two residential blocks, divided into four cores with a mix of oneto-three-bedroom homes.
There will be 29 one-bed flats, 54 two-bed flats and eight three-bed flats, as well as car parking and landscaping.
The development will also provide 91 car parking
spaces and 94 bicycle spaces.
The existing roundabout junction with Vanwall Road will be retained and will form the site’s only vehicle access point.
An additional pedestrianonly access will be added to Vanwall Road.
Some greenery will be lost in the development.
Consultancy firm Aspect Arboriculture – commissioned by Bellway – said that there is ‘an unavoidable requirement’ for tree removal.
Specifically, 10 trees would be removed, eight of which are ‘low quality.’
A group of ornamental shrubs would also be cleared.
It is ‘possible’ to mitigate these losses by planting replacement trees, the firm added.
Last week, the Advertiser wrote about the application when it was lodged as a public notice – and readers raised mixed feelings about the development.
On social media, many lamented the addition of yet more flats to the town, while others took the view that this application barely registers compared to plans to build thousands of homes on the greenbelt.
Others raised concerns about the absence of plans for new services to go with the new flats and subsequent increase in residents in the area.
“Where are all the other services? Schools, clinics, etc?” asked Carolyn Seet.
So far, there have been no official objections logged against the plans.
Cllr Geoff Hill (The Borough First) ward councillor for the application site, which is in Oldfield, said: “We’re hoping it will be a good scheme that makes good use of previously developed land, saving us from building on the greenbelt and relieving pressure on it.”
He added he is ‘optimistic’ but as a member of the development management panel will not be taking a position on the application until seeing the planning officers’ report.