Windsor & Maidenhead: Borough seeks development partner for four major sites

The Royal Borough of Windsor & Maidenhead is on the hunt for a development partner to deliver four major mixed-use sites in Maidenhead, paving the way for over 1,000 new homes.

The four new council-owned sites are at York Road, West Street, Reform Road and St Cloud’s Way and total over 6.3ha, the biggest release of public land in the Borough for several years.

Located at the centre of the town, the sites are expected to provide new commercial and office space, a cultural quarter, and leisure and entertainment facilities. The housing element is expected to comprise more flats than houses. Work would start in 2018 and the housing numbers will support the numbers set out in the Borough Local Plan.

Maidenhead has been enjoying buoyant demand from commercial occupiers thanks to the imminent arrival of Crossrail, to be known as the Elizabeth Line, in 2019. Recent lettings include Maersk Line, the shipping company, and BlackBerry which signed up to a record rent for the Thames Valley.

The town is also seeing significant investment in regeneration projects, including the Shanly Homes redevelopment of the Chapel Arches and a £250 million mixed-use redevelopment of the 3.3ha Broadway site which was granted planning permission late last year. With high land values and strong rents, the council plans to reinvest the income generated from these schemes to improve services and facilities for residents.

Simon Dudley, leader of the council and lead member for housing, said: “We need to build a town for everyone and these sites will provide housing for our local residents in the heart of the community. We want a joint-venture partner so that we can develop these sites together. We would retain considerable control over how the sites are developed. I am committed to providing high-quality homes, including genuinely-affordable options for our residents.”

The Council is hosting a developer launch briefing on July 14 to showcase the four sites. It is aiming to appoint a partner by May 2017 and there will be consultation with residents and key stakeholders before any work begins.

There will be further consultation with residents about building a new leisure centre at Braywick Park, replacing the ageing Magnet leisure centre. The new site would provide village-style changing rooms, ample parking and an improved swimming pool. The Magnet will remain open until the new facility is open.

Credit: CoStar