Major revisions have been included in new plans for the new Nicholson Quarter in Maidenhead.
Reduction in the height of the tallest building, greatly reduced parking and office space and marginally fewer retail units are part of the revised £500 million scheme submitted to the Royal Borough.
Areli Developments and site owner Tikehau Capital were given permission for the original plans for the major redevelopment of Nicholson’s Shopping Centre in October 2022. Since then financial restructuring for the scheme has taken place, a legal wrangle over a nightclub and various compulsory purchase orders have been resolved and the council has sold its 50 per cent freehold interest in the shopping centre.
Following a recent consultation, Areli has now drawn up a revised scheme. Key changes include:
- A reduction in the height of the tallest building from 25 storeys to 20
- The proposed multi-storey car park reduced from 885 spaces to 452 and only 100 of those allocated to shoppers. The rest will be for the scheme’s news residents and commercial businesses.
- A reduction in the amount of office space from 30,379 sq m to 11,350 sq m
- A change in the housing provision from a total 657 flats (350 of them for senior living) to a total 856 (101 of them for senior living)
- The number of retail units stated as 55-plus (previously 60-plus)
New public realm created will increase from 1.5 acres to 1.65 out of a total footprint of 6.84 acres and Areli says there will be a biodiversity net gain of 800 per cent.
The developer says there will be 1,174 new jobs created, along with 400 per year during construction.
The application’s planning statement, drawn up by DP9, concludes: “The proposed development represents design of the highest quality that respects the current and changing context in this part of Maidenhead.
“The accommodation proposed is of a high standard, meeting relevant standards and sustainability credentials, achieves adequate levels of daylight and sunlight, and delivers very extensive new public realm and open space.
“Whilst several adverse impacts are identified in the environmental statement, all are commensurate with development in a town centre location and are suitably addressed via mitigation.”
As well as DP9, the team on the project includes JTP on architecture, Montagu Evans as townscape consultant and Trium as environmental consultant.
Areli Developments hopes work on the scheme can begin as soon as next year with completion in 2029.
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