Planning round-up: More on 79 flats on old RAF barracks in Walthams

In Maidenhead development news this week, the appearance of 79 flats in Grove Park Industrial Estate in White Waltham has been agreed.

In other news, a new barn has also been permitted in White Waltham and a company based in Concorde Park, Maidenhead, is being allowed to set up a ‘virtual office’.

Sorbon Estates, part of the Shanly Group, has submitted some further plans relating to its 79 homes planned in Grove Park Industrial Estate, Waltham Road.

The plans also involve demolition of a number of existing buildings and the building of a nursery. The plans were first approved in November 2020.

Then in August 2021, Sorbon Estates submitted a raft of new plans to covert a number of offices into blocks of flats via ‘change of use’ applications.

The newer application covers ‘reserved matters’. After an application has been broadly approved, some of the key parts of it are submitted for consideration later, in case some aspect of it is unacceptable to the council.

In this case, the reserved matters relate to appearance and landscaping.

The planning team thinks the appearance of the development is ‘acceptable’ as it is of ‘a high-quality design’ which ‘would not have a detrimental impact upon the character of the surrounding area’.

“The proposed hard and soft landscaping of the site is also of high quality and would enhance the environment and amenity of the site for future residents,” officers wrote.

They noted the landscaping would also ‘sit well’ with the existing ‘landscape character’ of the area.

The proposal would result in a more than 60 per cent reduction in carbon emissions, with the applicant also willing to make a carbon off-set payment totalling nearly £108,400.

This money is to be spent on energy saving and carbon reduction initiatives throughout the Borough.

To see more about the appearance and lascaping for this, enter reference 22/01878/REM into the Borough’s planning portal.

To see the matters relating to access, layout and scale, see the original outline application at 18/03348/OUT.

Meanwhile, an application is in for a large new barn at Shottesbrooke Farm in Waltham Road

Belonging to the Shottesbrooke Estate, it is adjacent to the Grove Business Park mentioned above. It is also a short way away from White Waltham Airfield.

Though the site is greenbelt, the planning team felt that the new barn ‘is an exception to inappropriate development’ within the greenbelt.

The proposed barn will measure 30m by about 67m, with an eaves height of seven metres and a total height of just under 10m.

It ‘would not harm’ the future residential use of the neighbouring Grove Business Park, officers wrote – nor the continued use of the airfield site.

To see all documents, enter reference 22/02929/OUT.

Lastly, the council has put its stamp of approval on proposals for a ‘virtual office’ for a private hire company in Concorde Road.

The RBWM Licensing Authority requires the applicant to obtain a Certificate of Lawful Use before it can issue a license for the private hire operator.

The current application seeks to determine whether a ‘virtual’ office can operate from the premises at Regus First Floor 3, Concorde Park.

The company operates on an ‘app only’ basis, so there will be no members of the public or drivers visiting the premises.

This makes a difference to whether or not the applicants have to go through the planning process.

As a virtual only business, the proposal does not require any physical occupation of the building – and the change would not result in a material change of use of the building.

It would therefore not amount to ‘development’ and an application for express planning permission is not required.

In other words, it can go ahead, as far as the planning team is concerned.

This application is under 22/03326/CPU.