LOCALS will be given the chance to have a say on the controversial Maidenhead golf course housing scheme.

The Conservative-led Royal Borough approved the borough local plan earlier this year, which sees multiple sites earmarked for thousands of homes to meet the borough’s future population and economic growth.

The major document has been independently assessed as sound by a planning inspectorate, but it has been criticised by campaigners as ‘environmentally damaging’.

Within the plan, the site known as South West Maidenhead includes the 132-acre greenfield site Maidenhead golf course and Harvest Hill.

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The sites as a whole is earmarked for 2,600 homes, with 30 per cent being affordable, along with new primary and secondary schools, a local centre, employment space, green space for public access, and improved walking and cycling connectivity.

The next stage is to create a site-specific supplementary planning document (SPD) to provide further guidance and information on a future planning application via public engagement.

Feedback from residents and stakeholders will be used to inform a draft SPD, which will go for public consultation in the summer before a master plan is developed.

To get involved and find out more, people are invited to attend three themed online events, where they will also be able to submit live questions:

  • Community Needs – Wednesday 30 March 2022, 6.30pm
  • Connectivity – Wednesday 6 April 2022, 6.30pm
  • Sustainability and the Environment – Wednesday 13 April 2022, 7.15pm

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Links for joining the live sessions will be added from March 28 to the council’s website at www.rbwm.gov.uk/SWMaidenhead-SPD.

Hard copies and a feedback form can be found in Maidenhead Library from March 30. People will be able to make comments until April 27.

A great opportunity

Councillor Phil Haseler, cabinet member for planning, parking, highways, and transport, said: “The development of the South West Maidenhead area is a great opportunity to create a place that we can all be proud of, and I am really hoping that local residents get involved in the planning for this important site.

“The SPD is the next stage in the process, building upon initial place-making work and adding more detailed guidance to the vision and policy already set in the Borough Local Plan. It will help ensure developers bring forward applications for high quality, coordinated and comprehensive development that is supported by required infrastructure, meets community needs and aspirations around housing, community facilities, connectivity, sustainability and the environment.

“We welcome constructive engagement to ensure we fully capture and understand the key considerations in drafting the SPD.

“Feedback will help the council to inform later public consultation on a draft SPD.  Once agreed, the SPD will be an important consideration when assessing and determining future planning applications. The final SPD will include design principles and illustrative material for how development can come forward, including an illustrative masterplan, to guide the full detailed design coming forward for consideration at the planning application stage.”