Councillors in the Royal Borough have voted to begin the consultation process for an Article 4 Direction to try to limit Permitted Development Rights (PDR).
The council’s cabinet considered a report at its December 13 meeting which highlighted the reasons officers have put forward the proposal which could take more than a year to implement.
The report shows that between 2013 and 2022, around 32,000 sq m of office space, which equates to up to 2,300 jobs, was lost in the borough. PDR has brought 386 homes in that time.
A further pipeline of unimplemented schemes totals 31,000 sq m which would create 428 homes.
The report states: “Many councils have cited concerns over the delivery of poor-quality dwellings (often very small and lacking natural light), a lack of outdoor space and the failure to provide any affordable housing and vital infrastructure from such prior approval schemes.”
The meeting heard concerns about the loss of business rates when offices are converted to residential.
The full list of areas which would be affected by the direction:
- Vanwall Business Park, Maidenhead
- Land at Norreys Drive, Maidenhead
- Foundation Park, Cox Green
- Windsor Dials, Windsor
- Centrica, Millstream
- Land at Alma Road, Windsor
- Land at Stafferton Way, Maidenhead
- Whitebrook Park, Maidenhead
- Land at Tectonic Place, Maidenhead
- Furze Platt Business Centre Park and The Switchback, Maidenhead
- Woodlands Business Park, Maidenhead
- Cordwallis Business Park, Maidenhead
- Howarth Road Estate, Maidenhead
- Prior’s Way Industrial Estate, Maidenhead
- Vansittart Road Industrial Area, Windsor
- Fairacres Industrial Area, Windsor
- Ascot Business Park, AscotQueens Road Industrial Estate, Sunninghill
- Manor House Lane Employment Estate, Datchet
- Baltic Wharf, Maidenhead
- Boyn Valley Industrial Estate, Maidenhead
- Reform Road, Maidenhead
- DTC Research, Belmont Road, Maidenhead
- Shirley Avenue (Vale Road Industrial Estate), Windsor
- Maidenhead Office Park, Maidenhead (pictured above)
- Ashurst Manor, Sunninghill
- Lower Mount Farm, Cookham
- Ditton Park, Riding Court Road, Datchet
- Horizon Building, Honey Lane, Maidenhead
- Grove Park Business Park, White Waltham
- Silwood Park, Sunningdale
The timescale shows the council hopes for approval of the Article 4 Direction in Spring and its implementation by January 2025.
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