Let’s view bigger picture on 2,600-home estate
Maidenhead: Parish council say details needed on golf course development
Bray Parish Council has raised concerns that there is still not enough information on the South West Maidenhead development to make a call on some key planning applications on its patch.
The South West Maidenhead development area includes Maidenhead Golf Course and land south of Harvest Hill.
A planning application came before the parish council on Monday night for part of this site.
Bray parish councillors were tasked with deciding whether to recommend the application for 47 homes for approval or refusal.
There would be 29 houses and two apartment blocks containing 18 flats (reaching no higher than 2.5 storeys).
This site is on AL13 – alongside Maidenhead golf course – and earmarked for homes in the Borough Local Plan.
As such, home development there is ‘going to happen’– causing parish councillors to question if there was any point in objecting to the application.
However, the councillors agreed that they had a duty to represent resident concerns, regardless. Of particular concern is the ‘appalling’ traffic implications.
The spectre of the golf course development once again reared its head, with Cllr Ken Elvin expressing concerns about how the roads will handle the traffic from all those additional homes.
“I think we have put the cart before the horse on this.
This is 47 homes – you’ve got 2,600 in the vicinity. Until we see the plans for the 2,600 homes, we shouldn’t approve this,” he said.
“In the Borough Local Plan, the Borough said they had plans to improve six junctions,” he added. “Five have been done and one hasn’t – the Braywick roundabout – and there’s no indication of what they’re going to do.”
Cllr Derek Wilson suggested it would be best to install a roundabout at the bottom of Harvest Hill Road, to help cope with the traffic.
Questions were also raised over public transport – as the ‘whole point’ is that South West Maidenhead development is ‘supposed to be a sustainable location’.
These and other factors led the parish council to vote to recommend the application for refusal, subject to new information, including clarification on Harvest Hill Road.
“We often recommend for refusal things we know will be approved,” said BPC chairman of planning, Louvaine Kneen.
“What we’re here for is for our residents – if we feel strongly enough about [an application], we should say so.”
To see all documents related to this application, enter reference 22/02821 into the Royal Borough’s planning portal.