Further to extensive pre-application discussions with the Council and a successful public consultation event in January, Plainview Planning have now submitted an outline planning application for a 61-bed Premier Inn hotel, with associated restaurant and bar.
A family scheme:
The site has been in the same family for generations and the ethos behind the proposed development is to ensure that they can continue the legacy of their predecessors by contributing to the economic, social and cultural development of the town of Windsor.
There is an identifiable need for hotel accommodation in this area and this proposal effectively responds to that need.
The landowner will be responsible for the construction of the hotel, and has taken care to ensure that once it is built, it will be leased to a company which has an excellent track record.
With this in mind the hotel will be leased to Whitbread, a company which certainly meets this criteria with its roots in family business and an ethos of putting people and their customers at the heart of everything they do. They operate the largest hotel chain in the UK with over 700 Premier Inn hotels and have a longstanding reputation for quality.
The site:
The existing site is currently used for second hand car sales and is a former Texaco petrol filling station. It is under-utilised and relates poorly to the existing townscape and street scene.
The proposed scheme will represent an excellent opportunity to enhance the design and appearance of the site within its location and context, whilst responding to an identified need for tourist accommodation. Furthermore the site is within an accessible part of the town that is well placed for a number of tourist attractions.
Pre-app and public consultations:
Responding to feedback from the pre-application discussions, the scheme has been extensively revised and a sequential test undertaken. The sequential test assessed a total of 22 sites and the results clearly demonstrate that there are no sequentially preferable alternative sites within the catchment area that could accommodate a 60+ bed hotel and associated restaurant.
The design and layout of the indicative plans have evolved in response to pre-app discussions and public consultation concerns over impact on neighbouring amenity. These plans are only indicative at this stage but clearly demonstrate that such a scheme would not have any overbearing impact and would not result in overlooking or loss of light.
The application proposals have been prepared over a 12-month period and have involved comprehensive engagement with the council and relevant stakeholders. The application submission clearly demonstrates that a policy compliant scheme can be achieved at this application site. Furthermore the economic impacts of the proposed scheme are compelling and would bring significant benefits to the local economy.
We look forward to continuing to work productively with the Royal Borough of Windsor and Maidenhead and the local community on this very exciting scheme which seeks to redevelop a brownfield site into a quality hotel development that will diversify and improve the visitor accommodation offer in Windsor.
IMAGE SOURCE: Altham Lewis Architects 2016