Royal Borough approves amended application for Travelodge Maidenhead

An amended application to replace cladding and install a new green wall at the Travelodge in Maidenhead has been approved by the Royal Borough.

Last year, the Charterhouse Property Group submitted an application to carry out a range of works to remove and replace the existing cladding, brickwork, and render system at the hotel at 99 King Street.

The submission came after a fire assessment revealed that the building’s exterior was a ‘medium risk’.

The hotel chain has been located at the site for more than a decade and is set over six floors, with a ground floor and reception.

The building has a timber frame construction from the first floor upwards, and the existing exterior finish features a mixture of cladding, brickwork, spandrel panels and render.

Following the Grenfell Tower fire in June 2017, which claimed 72 lives, buildings across the country have had their cladding replaced.

The application was originally called in to be discussed at a Maidenhead development management committee meeting by Cllr Gurch Singh (Lib Dem, St Mary’s).

Cllr Singh said he supports the ‘principle of necessary fire safety remediation’, but shared concerns over aspects such as the ‘apparent loss of the original existing green wall feature’.

However, following discussions between the applicant and council officers, the latest plans have been amended and now include improved aspects, including the removal of existing signage on the southern elevation and the reinstatement of the green wall feature.

According to a design and access statement: “This intervention is intended to enhance the building’s environmental performance, durability, and visual quality while providing a sustainable and low-maintenance solution.”

The amended plans also include removing the current cladding panels and replacing them with an aluminium cladding system.

Cllr Singh withdrew his call-in and welcomed the amendments.

Following the approval earlier this month, Cllr Gurch Singh said: “Once the application was properly scrutinised it opened the door for a better conversation with officers, and the applicant.

“The outcome is far stronger. The unsafe cladding will be removed, the long-standing advertising board will go, and the scheme now secures a proper green wall with a maintenance plan.”