- LPA: Royal Borough of Windsor & Maidenhead (RBWM).
- Size: 50 acres.
- New Homes: 455 (180 a ordable).
- Biodiversity Net Gain: 30.69%
Award-winning approach to community engagement:
Improving residential developments and planning proposals
Our purpose drives our commitment to creating sustainable and inclusive places where people want to live.
In a fantastic location, this scheme put sustainability front and centre. It’s an exemplar example of contemporary, participative approaches to community engagement, and is a great example of our ‘end-to-end’ engagement approach. It also demonstrates our commitment to working long-term with partners to deliver positive outcomes, even when faced with extremely challenging circumstances.
For over 10 years we worked with RBWM o cers and the local community on plans for the scheme, and the ‘Stakeholder Masterplan’ we created for the site will help shape future applications within the Borough.
In 2021 we secured an allocation for the site in the Adopted Local Plan, leading to the site being released from the Green Belt – something that is virtually unheard of, demonstrating the skill, expertise and commitment of our team.Planning consents were secured in two phases – for the northern part of the site in late 2022; and for the southern part of the site in early 2023.
In 2023 we won a RTPI South-East Award for Planning Excellence, (‘Best Plan’ category), for our work on this scheme.
Securing sustainable, fi t-for-future homes
Re-imagining places for people to thrive.
With excellent transport links, a historic centre and stunning countryside, Windsor is a great area to live in. But it’s also a town in desperate need of new homes and community facilities.
To shape a better scheme from the start, engagement with the local community was carried out more extensively and at a much earlier stage than usual. A Stakeholder Master Planning Working Group was established with key stakeholders including the Parish Council, local businesses, environmental and community interest groups.
With the Covid-19 pandemic in full swing, meetings with the local community had to be held online, which enabled many more people to participate, with attendance often reaching 30 different stakeholder groups. Bringing together so many groups in one forum meant that solutions were more holistic, leading to better outcomes and more benefits for people and nature.
The northern parcel of land was sold, (with planning consent for 135 new homes), to Crest Nicholson in November 2022. In March 2023, planning consent was secured for the southern part of the site, (320 new homes), and sold to Vistry Group.
Benefits for people and planet:
- 455 sustainable new homes with EV charging points and rain gardens.
- Special Educational Needs school, fully funded by the DfE.
- Green and blue infrastructure.
- 1/3rd of site open space, with orchards, allotments, an outdoor gym and play spaces.
- New community hub with hot desks.
- Improvements to walking and cycling routes, plus A308 network.
“The judges were impressed with the stakeholder engagement and community participation which is at the forefront of issues in plan making practice and this approach demonstrates that e ort in this area can lead to social and environmental dividends.”. “…It shows that more thoughtfully prepared schemes can deliver better outcomes for, and greater positive engagement with, the communities in which they are proposed.”
RTPI Awards 2023
Find out more about our track record of success.
Please contact us at: land@wates.co.uk
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