Retirement home gates plan

An application to construct new gates with piers at the entrance of a soon-to-be retirement home in Hatch Lane has also been approved by the committee.

The plans look to put the new entrance gates, which are for both pedestrians and vehicles, at the site of the former Thames Hospice where a development of 41 retirement homes is being constructed.

The gates will be set back eight metres from the main road and will feature two masonry piers that vary in height between 1.9 metres and

2.2 metres and are five metres apar t.

Speaking at the meeting, Theresa Haggart, chair of the Windsor and Eton Society heritage and environment committee and member of the Windsor Neighbourhood Delivery Group, said that both the society and group wished to jointly express their objection to the development.

She raised concerns including the proposal being ‘contrary’ to the Clewer Corridor area design guide, the gates introducing an ‘undesirable and discordant urban feature’ into the lane, the safety conditions for children walking and cycling to school and the level of parked cars, which has ‘risen’.

Ms Haggart also spoke of ‘serious concerns’ about the effect of the gates on the traffic flow in the lane as the area is ‘very busy’.

Speaking at the meeting, Phil Brown, who was acting for applicant Beechcroft Developments Ltd, said that, as set out in the committee report, the proposals are considered ‘acceptable’ on design grounds and the appearance ‘respects the character of the area’.

He added that officers have concluded that there are ‘no highway issues’.

Mr Brown explained that the gates and piers will not be ‘visually prominent’ and will cause ‘no harm’ to the Clewer Corridor.

He added that the set-back of the gate is ‘three metres greater’ than the requirement in the borough’s highway design guide.

“This, in conjunction with the travel patterns associated with retirement living homes, which do not correspond with school pick-up and drop-off times, means that the gates will not impact on the flow of the traffic along Hatch Lane or cause any conflict with the operation of the Clewer Green First School,” he added.

The planning application, with conditions, was recommended for approval and was passed eight for and one against.