Club an ‘afterthought’ in development plans
Inquiry into compulsory purchase order for Nicholsons Centre regeneration
A Maidenhead nightclub fears it will be ‘extinguished’ from the town under plans to redevelop the Nicholsons Centre, writes Kieran Bell.
A public inquiry is taking place this week concerning a compulsory purchase order (CPO) issued by the Royal Borough as it looks to take control of the development site.
These are used by authorities to acquire land for development, but despite reaching agreements for much of the space, it has been unable to do so with some third parties.
Lawyers representing both the council and leaseholders convened in the town hall yesterday (Wednesday) for the start of an inquiry into the orders, led by planning inspector John Felgate.
The £500million project is being led by Areli and Tikehau Capital and involves plans to tear down the shopping complex and replace it with new retail, offices and more than 650 apartments. Plans were approved back in March 2021.
Smokeys, a nightclub in Nicholsons Lane, has been at the centre of a long running dispute with the council and developers over whether it has a place in the scheme.
A meeting in April 2021 heard that the venue had been ‘offered space’ within the ground floor of the multi-storey car park, but Smokeys said it was not offered a suitable location.
Representing the nightclub this week, Annabel Graham Paul claimed the loss of Smokeys would be detrimental to the town if it could not find a home.
“While other businesses may have moved out, Smokeys is a true Maidenhead success story,” she said. “It is a local economy driver and is the only live entertainment venue of its sort in the area.
“It seems inevitable that Smokeys will be extinguished as a result of the CPO, but it did not have to be like that; the nightclub could have been designed into the development.
“Smokeys has always been treated as an afterthought by the council and developer. It is not in the public interest to kill off a thriving family business in the name of regeneration.”
Ms Graham Paul cross-examined Ian Brazier-Dubber, the managing director of the RBWM Property Company, a development firm owned by the council.
She claimed that losing Smokeys would go against a number of the council’s adopted policies, including the Borough Local Plan (BLP) and Corporate Plan.
The latter states that there should be an ‘increase of new and surviving businesses, including the expansion of creative industries’.
“If, as we now all suspect, Smokeys will not survive as a business in the town centre because it can’t be relocated, that will not increase the number of surviving businesses within the borough,” Ms Graham Paul said.
Mr Brazier-Dubber told the inquiry that the Nicholsons plans are ‘in conformity’ with BLP policies, adding that if Smokeys was not able to relocate, there would be ‘opportunities for more leisure facilities in the scheme itself ’.
“The scheme brings a chance of great investment and change,” he said.
“The benefits outweigh those disbenefits.”
As well as Smokeys, the borough is still yet to acquire the leasehold interest for WHSmith in the shopping centre, as well as the first and third floors of the proposed car park extension, which is owned by a firm called Aegon UK.
There is also an unregistered freehold interest in King Street and new rights are needed to enable construction to commence, the inquiry heard.
James Pereira, representing the council, said the existing Nicholsons Centre suffers from ‘serious deficiencies’ and is ‘underperforming’.
“Regeneration and change is already happening, but that can only go so far whilst this outdated, inefficient retail development remains as the centrepiece of the town,” he added.
“This scheme provides the opportunity to capitalise on Maidenhead’s regional and international connectivity, and provides a once-in-a-generation opportunity to redesign the town centre’s heart.”
The public inquiry is set to continue until tomorrow (Friday).