Planning round-up: Royal Borough refuses plans to turn office building into 27 flats

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

Refused: RBWM turns down application to convert office building into 27 flats

Vaughan Architects was looking to turn a four-storey office building at 72-80 Moorbridge Road into flats, with the majority being studio apartments or two-bedroom units ‘suitable for small families’.

This was via a prior approval application, which allows developers to convert offices into flats without needing a full planning application, as long as they meet a nationally set checklist of requirements.

The building is vacant, but it was previously occupied by four businesses: Mapi Ltd, Lexis Nexis Ltd, Anaplan Ltd and Norebo Europe Ltd.

Last year, the applicant wanted to redevelop the building into 36 flats, but the council refused these original plans because planning officers believed nationally described space standards (NDSS) were not met.

The existing scaled-down proposals would have housed up to 56 residents.

A parking court on site would have been retained to offer 34 spaces for residents, including 17 EV charging points, visitor spaces and two disabled spots.

But the Royal Borough refused the revised plans because these included changes to the exterior of the office building, which is beyond the remit of a prior approval.

The council also said the applicant failed to show that all the flats would get ‘adequate natural light’.

Visit rbwm.gov.uk and insert 25/02474/CLAMA into the council’s planning portal to view the full plans.

Approved: Bid to replace equestrian buildings at a Holyport farm given the green light

Touched End Farm in Ascot Road is looking to demolish most of its stables and redevelop an area of the site, which falls within the borough’s greenbelt.

The farm currently has 32 stables, storage buildings, a polo pitch and an exercise track but these would be taken down and rebuilt.

A planning statement submitted by Pike Smith and Kemp Rural as part of the plans said that 35 stables, two tack rooms and a kitchen and laundry space would be built instead.

This refurbishment would extend over an area of 695.16sqm.

A previous application for the farm was refused by the Royal Borough because of a ‘lack of information’ submitted to assess if the redevelopment would be appropriate in the greenbelt.

But the new plans were approved by the council as long as eight planning conditions, including submitting a biodiversity gain plan.

Visit rbwm.gov.uk and insert 25/01747 into the council’s planning portal to view the full plans.

Refused: Council turns down plans to refurbish Windsor Wetherspoons

J D Wetherspoon put forward proposals to refurbish staff areas and the manager’s accommodation at its King and Castle pub in Thames Street.

The King and Castle is a Grade II listed building which was originally a chemist’s shop but was turned into a pub in 1967.

A bust of Edward VII above the passageway of the pub and an engraving of Windsor Castle are still retained.

The design and access statement submitted by DV Architects as part of the application said the existing staff room and change facilities do not meet ‘user comfort standards’.

It said that the manager’s flat on the second floor of the site is currently unoccupied.

If the plans were approved, the current storeroom and part of the lounge in the manager’s accommodation would have been turned into new changing areas and toilets for male staff.

One of the bedrooms in the manager’s accommodation would have also been converted into two toilets and changing rooms with lockers for female staff as well.

J D Wetherspoon was also looking to change the flooring inside the pub, decorate the walls and ceilings inside and update the lighting.

Two new doors with ironmongery and signs would have also been installed.

Several walls would have been removed to create more openings on the pub’s second floor.

But a council conservation officer carried out a site visit and said that these walls were ‘solid and could therefore be historic fabric’.

Thus, the Royal Borough refused the plans because the applicant submitted ‘insufficient information’ for the council to be able to assess the impact the refurbishment would have had on heritage assets.

Visit rbwm.gov.uk and insert 25/02515 into the council’s planning portal to view the full plans.