HUGE multi-million development plans for Maidenhead town centre have been submitted to the Royal Borough of Windsor and Maidenhead Council.
Plans for the £400 million scheme have been submitted by the applicants, Areli Real Estate, setting out transformation works on the Nicholson Centre to turn the single-use shopping centre into a mixed-use space.
The 20th century designed centre was purchased by The French asset management and investment group Takehau Capital last year with hopes to submit plans to rejuvenate the town centre.
Revealed plans for the new centre, called the ‘Nicholson Quarter’, will include 364 homes, a multi-storey carpark with 1,284 spaces, sixty-two shops and restaurants, office space, approximately 311 homes for extra care, one new bus stop and electric car charging points.
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The homes, offices, shops and restaurants have been broken up into multiple different zones and streets.
The application reads: “The mixed-use offer being created at Nicholson Quarter will distinguish Maidenhead from the surrounding towns and ensure that it is the destination of choice for the Maidenhead population.
“The Nicholson Quarter provides Maidenhead with the opportunity to be at the forefront of the response to the challenges faced by the high street and create an exemplar; vibrant and sustainable town centre, which the people of Maidenhead can be proud of.”
Called the ‘new heart of the town’, the central point of the development called ‘Sir Nicholas Winston Square’ – named after the humanitarian who saved over 600 children from Nazi Germany – is set to be the social hub where outdoor events and performances will be held.
Alleyways located north of the site are called ‘Nicholson Yard’, ‘White Hart Yard’, and ‘Brewery Yard’ – dubbed the ‘Yards’ – and offer a range of different and new shops both big and independent, restaurants, food stalls, and artisans.
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The backstreets will link up to the square where the walls will be decorated by local artists to create a ‘unique’ and ‘inviting’ place.
Located to the west of the site, ‘Moffatt Street’ will host fresh, local food produce and suppliers such as bakeries, pasta, and mongers. It will also include seating areas and planted trees.
‘Desborough Way’ is called the ‘spine’ of Nicholas Quarter where it is set to be the community hub of the development where it will contain local independent designers and the 364 homes.
Etchings of seeds and leaves of the different species of trees can be found which Lord Desborough – who the street is named after – collected on his various travels and then planted around the city.
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To the south, ‘Sydenham Place’ – The entrance of the development from Broadway and Maidenhead railway station – is to add a cinema, leisure, and a green infrastructure corridor – frolicked with a variety of trees and planting.
Offices and co-working spaces will be located on ‘Brock Lane’ with access to the car park and ‘King Street’ will have an emphasis on health and wellbeing where the extra homes will be located.
The application can be found here: https://publicaccess.rbwm.gov.uk/online-applications/ with the reference number: 20/01251/OUT.
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