08:02AM, Friday 01 November 2013
A push to build a new housing estate on land close to the 400-home Boulters Meadow development is being considered by the Royal Borough.
It has put previous suggestions to create a new primary school on its site off Ray Mill Road East on the back burner.
An 87-home build on 3.2 acres is now the council's preferred option.
The revised blueprint would leave two acres for public use or that could be developed at a later date.
The project was chosen ahead of 10 other options presented to the cabinet on Thursday, October 24. These included proposals to build schools.
According to the report 30 extra primary school places per year group are needed in east Maidenhead but building a school in Ray Mill Road would be 'considerably more expensive than extending a school'.
Speaking at the meeting, council leader David Burbage said: "There was recognition that housing was a high priority.
"The larger part of the site will be allocated for private housing and the rest of the site will be subject to further consultation at a later stage."
Speaking on Tuesday, cabinet member for planning and property, Cllr MJ Saunders said: "If we wanted to build a school for 90 places than we would need the whole of the land.
"But the need for extra school places is not that large, therefore a school would not require all the land.
"We only need part. And part of it has not been decided upon and can therefore still be made available to provide the 30 school places."
When asked if new houses would increase the strain on school spaces Cllr Saunders said: "These 87 houses would have a certain level of children in them and that will be accommodated."
Cabinet member for children's services, Cllr Phillip Bicknell, said the council is working to increase school capacity.
"We are at the planning stage with a new school in Braywood and hopefully doubling the size of Oldfield Primary School," he added.
Another report evaluating the proposal will be submitted to the cabinet in February.
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