Village pub set for total overhaul

The Royal Oak has been sealed off for years

A village pub that was demolished last year is due to be rebuilt.

The Royal Oak in Paley Street near Maidenhead, Berkshire, was once owned by the late Sir Michael Parkinson but has been sealed off for years.

The prestigious pub achieved a Michelin star but that was not enough to save it from closure during the coronavirus pandemic.

Paley Street Restaurant Ltd plans to bring the public house back to its former glory by replacing it with an all-new pub building.

CGI plans for The Royal Oak, in Paley Street, Berkshire

Developers previously won approval for the redevelopment of the pub to modernise it, while keeping the existing building and materials.

However, Chris Bagot, planning agent for Paley Street Restaurant Ltd, argued that the condition of the previous building “was too poor” for it to be safely retained, therefore it “needed to be demolished”.

Planning officer Edward Vaudin, at Royal Borough of Windsor and Maidenhead, determined the project was acceptable, despite lamenting the permanent loss of the original building.

In the latest development, the company has had its measures to protect animals as part of the project approved.

Gaps within the boundary fencing to allow hedgehogs to pass through and roosts for bats and birds are part of the biodiversity plans for the site.