Planning round-up: Windsor hotel will see gym and spa improvements

These are the latest planning applications for the Royal Borough of Windsor and Maidenhead.

Withdrawn: Sport England withdrew an application looking to improve the condition of Bisham Abbey.

The abbey is a Grade I listed manor house in Bisham’s conservation area, which dates back to the 13th century.

Today, Bisham Abbey operates as a national sports centre, managed on behalf of Sport England, but it is also used for wedding ceremonies and conferences.

Sport England sought to replace two interior doors on the ground and first floor with fire doors, without impacting the abbey’s exterior or its scale.

But a council conservation officer said the replacement of one of the doors is ‘not justified’, adding that a fire risk assessment carried out on site in 2022 did not specify that the works detailed in the proposals would be needed.

The conservation officer said: “[One of the doors] cannot be replaced. It is a late 19th century [door] with notable historic significance.”

The officer added that for the second replacement door, the drawings submitted as part of the application should be updated to show how the new door’s design will match the existing one.

The applicant thus withdrew the plans after the concerns were raised, looking to submit a fresh application that addresses these.

To view the full plans, insert 25/01965/LBC into the council’s planning portal at publicaccess.rbwm.gov.uk

Approved: The Royal Borough approved plans for improvements to a hotel in Windsor.

The Sir Christopher Wren Hotel and Spa in Thames Street is made up of multiple Grade II listed buildings, with the original Swan Public House also now part of the hotel.

The applicant, Sarova Hotels, is specifically looking to renovate the Wrens Club on site, where the hotel’s gym and spa are based.

A design and access statement submitted as part of the proposals said a small single-storey extension will be added to the reception area, once an existing extension to the spa is demolished and replaced.

The gym will also have a three-storey extension added to match the existing building, covering the club’s open courtyard.

The access to Wrens Club, through an existing pedestrian archway from Thames Street, will be retained.

Similar plans for the hotel were approved in 2024, but these updated proposals are looking to increase the floor area on the ground floor of the club to add a swimming pool.

The council approved the updated plans, but a Royal Borough planning officer said that if any historic features are discovered during the renovation, the work will need to stop.

To view the full plans, insert 25/01316/FULL into the council’s planning portal at publicaccess.rbwm.gov.uk

Pending: Residents living in a Windsor apartment building could have their flats renovated if the council approves the proposals.

Pembrooke Planning submitted a planning application looking to add a three-storey rear extension to the Lord Raglan House apartment building in St Leonard’s Road.

A cover letter submitted as part of the application said the works would reduce the rear garden area on site in order to enlarge the ground, first and second floor flats.

The flats affected would be those on the eastern side of the apartment block, which would see their lounge and kitchen areas, as well as bedroom space, enlarged, but no extra bedrooms are planned as part of the extension.

A new lift to the rear of the building is also proposed.

To view the full plans, insert 25/03397/FULL into the council’s planning portal at publicaccess.rbwm.gov.uk