Planning round up: Historic Braywick House to become special needs school

Here are the latest and most significant planning applications for the past week. To see all documents, enter their planning reference numbers into RBWM's online planning portal.

Approved: A new SEND school has been given permission to set up in the historic Braywick House, a Grade II listed mansion house, originally dating to 1675.

The building has been empty 'for a number of years', councillors acknowledged at the latest Maidenhead Development Management Committee - and this will be a 'fantastic' use for it, they felt.

The plan is to turn it into a SEND facility with a range of therapy and activity spaces, run by Polaris, a children’s care organisation with 19 companies and multiple schools.

It supports children and young people with social, emotional, and mental health difficulties, and communication and interaction, cognition, and learning needs.

Officers approved this plan for approval, with conditions - and at the meeting, adjusted one of these to make it more forgiving. The condition was on the hours for the play area. Originally, hours were to be restriction from 9am to 11.30am and 2.30pm to 4.30pm, Monday to Friday only.

This has been changed to 7am to 6pm Monday to Friday, plus 9am to 2pm on Saturday.

Some minor alterations are planned for the internal of the building only, and it will keep its existing hardstanding for parking, which the applicant believes will provide acceptable parking for staff and visitors.

The council's planning team identified that 'there is a need to supply additional [SEND] support within the borough,' given the expected rise in the number of children with these needs.

Moreover, the loss of office space is considered acceptable based on the detailed marketing evidence for over 12 months which, which showed there has been 'no interest' in this as an employment site.

Highways officers raise no objections to the trip generation and parking provision, even though there is a shortfall of 40 spaces in the parking provision (95 spaces required). Officers believe this can be addressed via conditions requiring a car park management plan, turning layout and school travel plan.

Two letters to the council recommended a new crossing for the school to slow traffic. This is addressed in the report and supported by conditions.

Read more at: Historic Braywick House could become a special needs school

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Approved: RBWM has agreed to a new children's home in St Luke's Road in Old Windsor.

The application was by RBWM Property Company Ltd, which handles the Royal Borough's property portfolio. Other sources mention Achieving for Children, which runs the Borough's children's services.

Nonetheless, just like any application submitted by a private developer, plans must be scrutinised by RBWM's planning team.

The application site comprises a two-storey detached house in a residential area, with accommodation in the roof, set back from the road by a large driveway.

It is identified as being within a 'Victorian Villages' character area. It's also in Flood Zone 3 - the highest probability of flooding.

The children’s home will provide care for vulnerable children up to 16 years of age, for a maximum of three children in the main house and one child in the annexe.

There will be two staff members on shift sleeping in, one staff member on a day shift pattern, one waking night staff member and one admin staff member. Therefore, the maximum number of staff members on-site at any one time would be five during shift changes.

The annexe would be used to provide self-contained respite accommodation to be occupied by one child and one adult.

Sleeping in staff will be on shift for 24 hours starting at 11am to 11pm. Waking night staff are on shift 9.30pm to 7.30am and day shift will be 8am to 8pm or 10am to 10pm.

Floor plans depict minimal changes on the ground-floor of the existing six-bedroom house, with the lounge, kitchen/diner, hallway, study and utility areas staying where they are.

The home will retain the two parking spaces already there.

Old Windsor Parish Council raised no objection to the application and there was only one public comment by a neighbour concerned about potential siren voice, should emergency services visit the site at night.

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Pending: A plan is in for eight new flats in Fairview, Shoppenhangers Road.

This plot is located between Shoppenhangers Road and Maidenhead Golf Club. It currently comprises a detached four-bedroom house, which would be demolished.

The new flats would range from one-beds for two people, to two-beds for four people. 

A scheme here has already been refused once; in November last year, the same company, Gill Capital Homes Limited wanted to put five flats in.

This was turned down on four grounds, including lack of key details needed to approve permission.

This scheme will provide four parking spaces, which, due to its closeness to the train station, the applicant thinks will be enough.

The planning statement says: "The revised planning application for Fairview, Shoppenhangers Road, Maidenhead, has been carefully developed to address all concerns raised in the previous refusal."

This includes impacts on trees, assessments on transport and energy and mitigation to protect woodlands.

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Pending: RBWM is considering whether to approve the conversion of a shop at 19 St Leonards Road, Windsor, into a takeaway.

This is the site of Roz Clarke ladies' clothes shop, which has been there since 1980.

The owner of this fashion boutique, from Cox Green in Maidenhead, passed away in January last year.

The change of use will involve building a double-storey rear extension, too, making a net additional floorspace of 26sqm (from about 66 up to 92).

No parking exists or is proposed on the site.

Hours of opening are not yet proposed.

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