To receive an update from Barbara Richardson, Managing Director of RBWM Property Company Ltd.

Barbara Richardson, Managing Director of RBWM Property Company Ltd, gave the Forum an update on the redevelopment and construction at various sites around Maidenhead.

The site at York Road had experienced some delays due to Covid-19 but reopened on 18^th May, with construction capacity at the site reduced by around 25%. Early 2021 was the target for phase 1 handover, with phase 2 due to start in March 2021, with a need to negotiate with the current leaseholder. Practical completion for all phases of this project was 2024.

West Street was estimate to start on site in 2024, with completion in 2026.

The project at St Cloud Way, the former site of Magnet Leisure Centre, was due to be the next project to go onsite, around October. The scheme on this site would be due to start in April/May 2021, subject to planning permission being granted.

The Reform Road project site had flood zone status and therefore was taken out of the Borough Local Plan. On completion the site would be a combination of office space and a new health hub, which would start in late 2022.

Maidenhead Golf Course redevelopment had been due to have a public consultation but this had not yet taken place. Barbara Richardson said that it was important to speak to residents about the plans so that access points could be understood and the types of housing that was needed could be proposed.

The Nicolson’s Shopping Centre had two developers who were working on plans for the redevelopment of the centre. There had been a good level of input from RBWMs Disability and Inclusion Forum on things like adequate disabled parking which had improved the plans.

The Chairman said that he felt privileged to be part of the town and that all these projects were very exciting.

Councillor G Jones asked what the health hub consisted of that was part of the plans on Reform Road. Barbara Richardson explained that the NHS was looking to consolidate smaller surgeries into large hubs, which would offer a greater range and variety of services. The Client Commissioning Group would look at the surrounding area and decide what would be best to include in the hub.

Councillor Baskerville asked for clarification on what affordable housing actually meant. He was informed that it can take a number of forms, with shared ownership, affordable rent and social rent (40% of market rent) all being potential options. Developers would always try and reach the target for affordable housing in their application, with the target current set at 30%. However, this could depend on how financially viable affordable housing would be at the proposed site.

Councillor Singh said that there had been a lot of change which was needed to react to the Covid-19 pandemic. He asked what changes had been made to the plans for these development and if RBWM was building for the needs of residents.

Barbara Richardson said that the planner would act independently by looking at the housing survey and seeing what was needed. There was big demand for affordable housing going forward which was something that needed to be considered. The York Road apartments might have amendments made so that an office desk can be included. This was a direct impact of the increase in demand for working from home. Access to good quality open space was also an important consideration as residents would be spending less time travelling into London and more time spent in their local area.

Councillor McWilliams said that the ‘Eat Out to Help Out’ scheme had been a big success in Maidenhead as the number of people eating at local restaurants and cafes had significantly increased. Flexible work space was also important as employers look to utilise regional areas rather than centralising everything in London. He asked about the landing site and the progress that was happening there, as it was important to keep the momentum going as regeneration depended on residents confidence.

Barbara Richardson explained that the new car park was part of phase 2 at the landing site. They were currently looking at the space available at the site and conversations were ongoing about how best to utilise the rest of the space available.

Councillor Singh asked if the Maidenhead Community Centre had been found a new permanent home and that a Compulsory Purchase Order was on the landing site but wanted to know if there were any timescales available for progression with the site.

He was informed that the Compulsory Purchase Order covered the whole site, with the parts not yet acquired coming in phase 2 of the project.