Decision over the fate of The Queen pub in Windsor pushed back

The fate of a derelict Windsor pub which is being ‘used as a toilet’ has been postponed.

The Queen pub, in Dedworth Road, has remained empty since 2013.

A planning application for six one-bedroom flats to be built following the demolition of the pub was submitted to the Royal Borough by SLJ Property Development Ltd.

It was discussed at a Windsor Urban Development Control Panel meeting on Wednesday at Windsor Guildhall.

Chairman of the panel, Cllr Phil Bicknell (Con, Park), read a letter from Cllr Hashim Bhatti (Con, Clewer North), ward councillor of the site.

“As a council, we need to ensure that the needs of the future generation are looked after as well as the current one,” the letter said.

“A loss of amenity would be, in short terms, outweighed by the need for houses.”

He added that he did not feel there would be a loss of amenity because there is another pub, The Black Horse, ‘a short walk away’.

Another ward councillor, John Collin (Con, Clewer North) echoed Cllr Bhatti’s letter.

He said: “For the past three years there has been no amenity on the site.”

He added that ‘undesirables’ had been breaking into the building and using it ‘as a toilet’.

A letter in the planning application from Savills Estate Agents states it can ‘categorically confirm’ that there is no interest from any parties looking to operate the building as a pub.

Cllr Malcolm Alexander (Con, Eton and Castle) said: “No one in their right mind would take this building on as a pub when there is a pub that’s thriving down the road.”

He proposed that the application is postponed for two cycles, until April, to give time for other options to be explored.

This was approved by councillors.

Also at the meeting, the panel considered an application to build 13 one and two-bed flats, with a retail unit on the ground floor on the site of Mahjacks in Dedworth Road.

The panel heard from an objector who has lived in Dedworth Road for 20 years, who said she worried about losing her privacy and parking issues.

Despite this the panel unanimously approved the application.