Public notices: Stubbings café changes, road closures and bid to draw The Cut water

In the public notices this week, Stubbings Nurseries is making another attempt to make some more space and improve the customer experience, while a business is asking to be able to draw water from The Cut for its polo field.

Traffic

The Royal Borough of Windsor and Maidenhead is proposing to close the road at Hurley Lane in Bisham, from its junction with Footpath 20, Bisham, to the A404.

There is no diversion route available.

The closure is for roadworks to be carried out by National Highways to stop access onto the strategic road network during a separate closure.

The restriction is expected to be in place from 9pm on Thursday, December 4 until 5am on Friday, December 5.

For more information, contact National Highways on 0300 123 5000.

Environment

Les Lions Farm Ltd – which raises horses for sporting activities – has applied for licences to take water from a river and from man-made channels at its land in Ascot Road, Holyport.

The company is asking to abstract water from The Cut and from land drains, such as man-made channels or pipes, which are designed to move excess water away from low-lying ground.

The water will be stored and used to spray and irrigate a polo field.

^{Area around the polo ground and The Cut. Map data: ©2025 Google, Airbus. Maxar Technologies.}

Les Lions Farm is asking to take:

• up to 36,000 litres an hour
• up to 864,000 litres a day
• up to 17 million litres a year.

That is about seven Olympic-sized swimming pools a year, which for an agricultural or sports-field irrigation is considered a moderate amount.

Nonetheless, such abstractions can affect local water levels, wildlife and neighbouring landowners.

As such, the Environment Agency has to check that taking this much water will not damage the watercourse, reduce flow too much, harm habitats or affect other users who rely on the same source.

Send any objections, comments or support in writing to the EA (arriving by Thursday, December 11), quoting reference numbers NPS/WR/045657 and NPS/WR/045658.

Mail address: Environment Agency, Permitting and Support Centre, Water Resources Team, Quadrant 2, 99 Parkway Avenue, Sheffield S9 4WF.

Alternatively, email PSC-WaterResources@environment-agency.gov.uk

Planning

Stubbings Nurseries is seeking permission to rework the inside of its café and garden centre buildings.

The company says it needs more space because the café and retail areas have become increasingly busy since the café opened in 2011.

The proposal sets out several aims, including improving food hygiene, health and safety, and staff welfare by moving and enlarging the kitchen and wash-up areas.

Plans also include upgraded customer facilities – new toilets, including accessible WCs – and making it easier for people to move around inside.

Additional outdoor seating is proposed for visitors arriving from Maidenhead Thicket, particularly dog walkers.

At the beginning of November, the council refused proposals to demolish several buildings and expand the café, also to make more space.

The council rejected this over a lack of a legal agreement to show how the applicant would make a financial contribution to offset carbon emissions.