Maidenhead golf course: Protesters call homes plan a 'travesty'

Campaigners say the development will destroy wildlife habitats and increase traffic in the town

Plans to build hundreds of houses on a golf course have been described by protesters as a "travesty".

The application for 1,500 homes on the Maidenhead Golf Club site in Berkshire was submitted in January.

Dozens of campaigners from Maidenhead Great Park group gathered outside the town's train station on Tuesday evening.

Developer Cala Homes said it aimed to retain as many of the land's natural features as possible.

The golf club is on land south of Maidenhead train station

The scheme would involve building an estate called the Elizabeth Quarter, plus shops, a cafe and a primary and secondary school.

But locals have raised concerns about losing the 132-acre (53-hectare) open space.

Maidenhead Great Park group formed in 2020 to campaign against plans to develop the council-owned woodlands and open space.

Protester Michael Young described the site as the town's "green lung".

"Getting rid of the golf course site is a travesty for Maidenhead.

"We've got so many different animals... concrete it over and it's going to be the worst thing for Maidenhead."

The group believes the development will destroy wildlife habitats and increase traffic, air pollution, drought and flooding in the town.

But Cala Homes said it would not increase flood risk and would comply with all national and local transport policies, including air quality impact.

Existing buildings at the site would be knocked down to make way for the new housing estate

The proposed number of houses on the Shoppenhangers Road site has been scaled back from previous plans for 2,000 and later 1,800.

However, Tina Quadrino, who has also been campaigning against the proposals, said the area had "so much to more offer" than housing.

"We've got other brownfield sites that we could use for housing so we really need to save this land for our future, for our children," she added.

John Allan, managing director of Cala Homes, said he wanted to "deliver new homes and infrastructure that Maidenhead needs".

He added his intention was to protect "as many precious natural features as possible", including the ancient woodland.

Royal Borough of Windsor and Maidenhead Council told the BBC: "A planning application has been submitted by Cala for consideration by the council on its individual merits, in line with planning policy."

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