Plans submitted for new homes at waste facility

The plans are currently being considered by the Royal Borough of Windsor and Maidenhead

Plans have been submitted to redevelop a waste facility build up to 131 homes.

The Shorts Waste and Recycling Facility is situated off St George's Lane in Ascot, Berkshire, and a project for its transformation was approved in December 2020.

Earlier this year, plans for the site were submitted by Shorts Group, the landowners and Nicholas King Homes.

The scheme has received support from some agents, as well as opposition from residents, with one saying the development would make the site "a concrete jungle".

Th proposals are currently being considered by the Royal Borough of Windsor and Maidenhead (RBWM).

Planning agent Duncan Gibson argued the design of the homes would be "too regimented"

The project would involve building 127 homes, with 22% of the development designated as affordable.

A planning agent from Boyer wrote that it would "transform a brownfield site to provide much needed high quality homes and landscaped open space".

However, neighbours and Sunninghill & Ascot Parish Council opposed the project.

"This is a total over development of the total site and making it a concrete jungle," a resident wrote.

Planning agent Duncan Gibson, who was appointed by a neighbouring landowner, argued the design of the homes would be "too regimented".

The parish councillors highlighted that 95 trees would be felled, and that the detailed application diverges too much from the approval in 2020.

They also argued 30% of the homes should be designated affordable.

On Wednesday, a fire erupted at the facility at about 19:30 BST.

Shorts Group, which runs the waste centre, stated in a post: "Whilst we do not know the cause, we suspect that the fire was started from an exploded lithium battery in our waste pile."