Legal hearings to take place over Nicholsons Centre development

A series of legal hearings are due to take place next week regarding the Nicholson Quarter redevelopment in Maidenhead.

The £500million project will see the shopping complex replaced with new retail, offices, public realm and more than 650 apartments, with buildings set to reach up to 25 storeys.

Plans - which were approved in March last year - will also include 1,319 car parking spaces – including 700 public spots in a new multi-storey car park.

In order to deliver the project, the council has been required to use Compulsory Purchase Orders (CPOs) to acquire land intended for development.

However, where objections are made from parties being issued with a CPO, public hearings must be held.

These are due to take place for the Nicholsons Centre scheme next week, from Wednesday, October 26 to Friday, October 28.

Lead member for planning, Cillr Phil Haseler, said the aim of the exercise was to sort out issues with ‘buildings as a whole which are needed to be taken possession of’.

He remained confident that the obstacles facing the council would be overcome as it looked to start work on the flagship development in the near future.

It is unclear which buildings and businesses are involved in the CPO hearings scheduled. 

In June, a forum heard that the start date for the Nicholson Quarter scheme was pushed back to summer next year.