Club to review its next steps after losing appeal

Maidenhead Hockey Club will not be moving from their current base at Altwood School to new facilities in the town after Claires Court School’s application to build a new campus, with associated sports facilities, was dismissed on appeal by the planning inspector.

The school lodged its bid for a new purpose-built campus for its senior boys and girls’ school in The Ridgeway, off Cannon Lane, last year, but it was refused by the Royal Borough, and that decision has now been upheld by the planning inspector.

Maidenhead had hoped to consolidate their training and matchday activities at the new site and would jointly use the planned astro-turf pitch with the school on evenings and weekends. However, after the planning inquiry heard representations from various parties from Wednesday, November 18 to Friday, November 27, the inspector Joanna Gilbert decided to dismiss the school and hockey club’s appeal. She deemed that the impact the development (appeal A) would have on the greenbelt could not be justified.

Reacting to the news in a joint statement with Claires Court School, Maidenhead Hockey Club chair, Lindsey Lucas, said: “Maidenhead Hockey Club would like to thank Claires Court for their continued support for the club’s vision to deliver a new hockey facility to accommodate matches, training, and social facilities on one site, and with Claires Court we will continue to review the club’s next steps.”