Maidenhead Golf Club and RBWM complete transfer of contracts to surrender lease

The Royal Borough and Maidenhead Golf Club have completed the transfer of contracts in relation to the lease surrender agreement of the golf course site.

In a joint statement, Councillor Andrew Johnson, council leader, and Councillor David Coppinger, cabinet member for planning and Maidenhead, said they were ‘pleased’ to make the announcement on Friday afternoon.

The golf course is earmarked for 2,000 homes under the Borough Local Plan, which is set to be debated and adopted by councillors tomorrow night (Tuesday).

In the joint statement, Cllrs Johnson and Coppinger said: “This agreement allows the club to remain in occupation until December 2025 while ensuring we can bring forward in a timely manner a significant development site that’s so crucial to meeting a significant proportion of the community’s housing need in a strategic way, delivering a sustainable new urban extension as part of the next phase of Maidenhead’s regeneration.

“The site offers a highly sustainable location, which, once complete, will deliver more than 2,000 desperately needed homes, with 30 per cent of the properties being affordable, in addition to a new primary and secondary school, and a community hub.

“It’s a critical part of the Borough Local Plan, which has now been independently assessed as sound by an independent Planning Inspector.

“The Royal Borough is currently 83 per cent green belt and while a fraction of greenbelt development is needed to meet local housing need, 82 per cent will still remain green belt.

“This site allocation will therefore accommodate future population growth while preventing speculative development across the borough, including on greenbelt land elsewhere, while opening-up significant areas of green space for public access, improve walking and cycling connectivity for residents.”

In an email seen by the Advertiser, Maidenhead Golf Club chairman Paul Louden urged members to remember that this ‘is not the end of the line’.

He added: “The Borough Local Plan has not yet been voted on but that will take place on Tuesday evening.

“After that there must be a period of six weeks for possible legal challenge. So probably we won’t know the final position until the end of March.

“We are committed to finding the best solution we can for all the members of Maidenhead Golf Club. We will continue that as long as it takes.”

The meeting to adopt the BLP will be held at the Maidenhead Holiday Inn, Manor Lane, from 7pm, and will also be streamed live on the RBWM YouTube channel.