[HTS-members] A Message from the Hitcham Taplow Society

[Karl Lawrence]

 The Regeneration of Mill Lane

 

Exhibition to seek opinions on the content of a Development Brief 

 

 

There will be a Public Exhibition on Thursday, 16 June at the St Regis Paper
Mill in Mill Lane from 3pm to 10pm. The location will be signposted and
there will be ample parking space. 

 

The Exhibition will comprise a series of Display Boards setting out ideas
and suggestions for developing the 23 hectare Mill Lane site in accordance
with the broad guidelines established by the South Bucks District Council in
its Core Strategy Document. Core Policy 15 of the Strategy identifies the
area as a Major Developed Site in the Green Belt offering an opportunity for
conservation-led regeneration. (a Copy of the Exhibition Boards is attached)

 

The Council has delegated the task of preparing a Development Brief for the
site to a consortium of the present landowners and a developer contracted to
buy a substantial area of the land working together with a Council Planning
Officer. In essence this Exhibition is a public consultation asking for
local residents to give their opinions on the key issues in the regeneration
of this Green Belt area. 

 

For many years the Society has recognised the need for the regeneration of
the Mill Lane area and it has worked to this end making a significant
contribution to the Core Strategy. It believes that Core Policy 15 strikes
the right balance between the need for regeneration and the protection of
the narrow 'green lung' of this Green Belt area separating Maidenhead and
Slough.

 

The Society urges all residents to visit the Exhibition and to respond to
the Questionnaire inviting opinions and comments. What is being asked is
advice towards specifying the guidance to be given by the Council to
prospective developers. The Exhibition is not presenting a Planning
Application for approval. 

 

At its meeting yesterday evening the Executive Committee of the Society had
its first opportunity to examine the Exhibition Boards. It has significant
concerns about the content of these Boards - the directions to which it may
lead development of the site : the traffic which it will through on to the
A4 : the impact on the openness of the Green Belt : the securing of the
views approaching and looking out from the Grade 1 listed Maidenhead Bridge
: the mass and the height of new build :the protection of the views north
from the Bath Road : down from the top of Mill Lane fields : across the
River Thames from Cookham Road : towards Maidenhead and the Thames Valley
from Taplow Court.

 

The Executive Committee considered all the options and it decided to
complete a Questionnaire as follows

 

Option 1  ...  Plan 6 - the River Thames Route

Option 2  ...  a) "Very Important" - new foot crossing of the Thames

        b) "Bridge"

 

Option 3  ...  "New Footpath along the Road" - additional comment 'do not
compromise trees and/or hedge rows'

 

Option 4  ...  additional comment only 'support cycle route improvements'

 

Option 5  ...  "Retain/Improve Current Access"

 

Option 6  ...  additional comment only 'many differing opinions' 

 

Option 7  ...  "Improved" - additional comment 'do not compromise trees
and/or hedge rows'

 

Option 8  ...  a) No - "provision for recreational use" 

        b Yes - "more informal and less intensive use"

 

Option 9  ...  a) No - "existing woodlands opened up"

        B Yes - new woodland areas created

 

Option10 ...  No - additional comment 'support removal of gasholder but not
trade-off of new build on that area  

 

Option11 ... Yes - additional comment 'must be within the same 'envelope'
height, footprint, and position relative to listed Maidenhead Bridge'

 

Option12 ... Yes

 

Option13 ... Yes - additional comment 'restore to original size and
appearance' 

 

Option14 ... Yes - additional comment 'restore to original size and
appearance'

 

Option15 ... additional comment only 'reserve judgement until see what is
proposed'

             

Option16 ... additional comment only 'reserve judgement until see what is
proposed'

 

Option17 ... additional comment only 'reserve judgement until see what is
proposed'

               

Important Views ... from Cookham Road : from Bath Road to Taplow Court :
approaching and looking out from Maidenhead Bridge : from top of Mill Lane
fields : from Taplow Court 

-

Development Principles  ...  Preserve the openness of the Green Belt

 

Further comment ---+-+-- ...  The Committee considers that there should be a
detailed traffic assessment to determine for the Development Brief the
volumes of traffic which would be generated by the various scenarios of
development proposals. 

 

 

 

Karl Lawrence

Chairman, Hitcham and Taplow Society        

 

 

 

 

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