Pulling the brake on building flats
Maidenhead: Opposition concerns over how infrastructure will cope
Maidenhead has ‘all the flats it needs for the time being’, according to the council leader, but opposition members fear the town will be unable to cope once thousands of new apartments are built.
The regeneration of Maidenhead has been underway for several years now with many schemes either complete or started across the town centre.
During the facelift, much has been made about the amount of flats being built – more than 400 are planned at The Landing site, while several hundred more have been constructed at the Chapel Arches scheme and Watermark, in St Ives Road.
This number is set to increase even further after plans were approved to demolish the former Magnet Leisure Centre for 434 homes, the vast majority of which will be flats.
Royal Borough leader Councillor Andrew Johnson (Con, Hurley and Walthams) told the Advertiser that work on the former leisure centre would not be starting until next month, with some complications still to iron out between the authority and developer Countryside.
He added that Maidenhead has ‘all the flats it needs’ at this time, with no particular rush to advance quickly with the Magnet site.
“We are not looking at delivering many more flats going forward,” Cllr Johnson said.
“I think they will [sell], but it is fair to say that Maidenhead has all the flats it needs for the time being.
“I think it is time for things to settle down.”
The council leader said the market was there for the ‘right kind of office accommodation’, with concerns also raised about whether offices are needed in the same capacity post-COVID and people working from home more often.
Legal & General is on site at the former Three building on Grenfell Island to turn the space into a £40million four-storey office complex.
“I am confident that the office market will return – it won’t return like it was before COVID, but it will start to get stronger going forward,” Cllr Johnson said. “It is going to be more than just offering a desk in an office.”
The council leader was also quizzed on progress to redevelop the Nicholsons Centre, which is set to bring more than 650 apartments to the town centre.
He said a public inquiry into a number of Compulsory Purchase Orders (CPOs) at the site will be taking place ‘this autumn’.
“Once that commences, that will be another major milestone in terms of pushing the project forward,” Cllr Johnson said.
“They [the developers] are still intending to hit the ground running next year.”
The Tory councillor admitted there were ‘some big storm clouds brewing’ regarding the economic climate in the construction industry, which will add to the challenge of delivering the scheme.
“It is a long-term proposition, it is not something that can be delivered in five minutes,” Cllr Johnson added.
“But the need is there, the demand is there and the appetite is there.”
Opposition councillor Geoffrey Hill (The Borough First, Oldfield) told the Advertiser he was ‘delighted Cllr Johnson has seen the light’ regarding Maidenhead’s flat count, adding some schemes looked ‘ugly’.
“He is absolutely right – we do not need any more flats in Maidenhead; there is an over-supply, it is getting ridiculous,” he said.
“I am delighted Cllr Johnson has seen the light at last.
“No, I don’t believe it [Maidenhead] is ready. We are doubling the population. The infrastructure can’t handle it.”