Fresh plans for hospice site development
WINDSOR: Developers hope it will be second time lucky as fresh plans to bulldoze the former Thames Hospice building and turn it into retirement homes have been submitted, writes James Bagley, Local Democracy Reporter.
Following refusal from councillors on August 19, Beechcroft Developments Ltd have reduced the scale of the planned new flats and changed the layout of the scheme in order to address major concerns and issues raised.
A majority of members on the Royal Borough Development panel rebelled against the planning officer’s recommendation for approval and blocked the previous plans for 45 flats to be erected following the demolition of the former Thames Hospice Care on Hatch Lane, Windsor.
They refused it on the grounds the designs were out of keeping of the ‘Victorian’ scenery, calling the plans and its amenity space ‘poor quality’ for future residents.
Councillors were also concerned over the loss of trees and parking over-spilling into the residential area, as well as the development creating a ‘dominant and cramped’ space.
The developers hope to address the members’ concerns by reducing the number of units from 45 to 41, slashing two apartments from one block and reducing the width of the building to address the over development issues raised.
The new plans for the homes for the over 55s comprises of: three two-storey houses; two two-storey semidetached houses, one twostorey apartment building; two 2.5-storey apartment blocks; and one three-storey block.
Twelve flats will be affordable housing, a reduction of two from the previous application, and the site will provide 49 car parking spaces, two of which will be disabled spaces – an increase from the previous 44 spaces.
The developers also relocated the parking for units fronting Hatch Lane and removed its vehicular access point to replace it with additional landscaping such as planting.
The retirement homes will have a mix of two and threebedroom units.
The planning statement adds: “As the development is for retirement housing the dwellings will be designed and built with features that are directed more towards this market, which will allow the properties to evolve with the needs of residents through time.”