Still no homes on former hospital site in Clarence Road

Angry councillors want to know why a key building in a Windsor conservation area is still standing empty and desolate - six years after permission was granted to turn it into homes.

It was in 2007 that planners passed an application to turn the former Princess Christian Hospital in Clarence Road into 15 homes.

But an officers' report presented to planning councillors on Wednesday said the development had stalled 'for reasons understood to revolve around the financing of the development'.

Councillors were being asked to vary the 2007 permission - by allowing a semi-detached house that was part of the old hospital to be occupied before the work on the rest of the site is completed.

Their officers had no objection and the applicant Tony Wood - who is believed to want to move into the house - came along to the meeting expecting to get permission.

But to his visible dismay councillors threw the application out. They were clearly furious about the lack of progress across the whole site. They were also confused as to who actually owns the site now.

Cllr George Bathurst (Con, Castle Without) said: "This has not been well managed. We must insist on a simple, coherent plan to get the future of this growing eyesore sorted out."

Mr Wood is understood to want to move into number 14, a semi-detached house which is paired with number 16 on the other side. It once made up part of the hospital site which spreads over to include number 12

It is understood Mr Wood is not involved with the rest of the hospital development site. He declined to comment to the Express this week.