Work on golf course ‘could take 15 years’
Developer reveals more details about proposals for controversial scheme
The developer behind plans to build 2,000 homes at Maidenhead Golf Club says the contentious scheme could take 15 years to complete.
CALA Homes (Chiltern) met with members of the public for the first time during two consultation events at Maidenhead Library on Thursday and Saturday.
The sprawling site, which would be named Elizabeth Quarter, is being targeted for a mixture of family homes and apartments as well as a new primary and secondary school.
But protests have been ongoing in the borough to overturn the Borough Local Plan and protect the 132acre site from development.
Andrew Aldridge, land director at CALA
(Chiltern), said the developer is looking to submit an outline planning application in spring 2023 to secure approval for the scheme in principle.
But if plans are approved, work may not get underway until January 2026 as Maidenhead Golf Club is not due to surrender its lease on the site until December 2025.
Mr Aldridge told the Advertiser: “One of the reasons for the timing of the application is to be prepared.”
“If they [Maidenhead Golf Club] do make noises and want to go early then we will be ready to start on site.”
He added: “Clearly this is going to be large development programme, probably up to about 15 years.”
The developer is planning to build medium-rise apartment buildings and town houses on the northern part of the site which could go up to eight storeys.
But work is first expected to get underway on building houses on the southern part of the site due to the high number of flats which are currently being built elsewhere in the town centre.
Mr Aldridge added: “There has been quite a large propensity of apartments at the moment in the town centre so building flats at this moment in time is probably not the best thing to do commercially.
“At the moment we want to focus on the southern part of the site which will be family homes but if the market changes and there is a requirement for apartments we could look at bringing in the town centre earlier and maybe have two phases of development at the same time.”
The developer said 30 per cent of new homes on the site will be classed as ‘affordable’.
Of this, 45 per cent will be available as social rent properties, 35 per cent will be classed as affordable rent and 20 per cent will be available for shared ownership.
A new primary and secondary school are also planned to be delivered on the site as well as a new health centre.
For further information visit www.calaplanning.co.uk/elizabethquarter.