A VICTORIAN building, built in Windsor in 1897, has been saved from demolition once again by councillors.

Members of the Royal Development Management Panel blocked plans to demolish the two-storey heritage asset at Essex Lodge in Osborne Road – which is close to the town centre – for a three-storey apartment building comprising 10 two-bed flats.

The applicants went back to the drawing board to amend the scheme by reducing its scale, mass, and bulk, including reducing the number of flats from 12 to 10 and providing more space for landscaping following its fourth refusal last year.

Believing it would be a “mistake” for the plans to go ahead, councillor Leo Walters (Conservative: Bray), said: “I think we got to listen to what the people say. This is Windsor.

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“It’s a sense of place in Windsor, there are these Victorian buildings, and to put an extra two or three flats and to tear down a Victorian, non-designated building I think is a mistake.

“When people go to Windsor, they’re the sort of buildings they expect to see and if you start sticking in blocks of flats, it won’t be the same.”

Cllr Walters feared this could set a precedent for more Victorian buildings to be demolished for flats – which he said will “ruin” the area.

Campaigners urged councillors to save the lodge and block the plans to protect the heritage asset where the design would harm the ‘gateway’ to the town centre as it sits on a main junction into central Windsor.

Speaking in favour of the application, councillor John Bowden (Conservative: Eton and Castle), disagreed that this site is located near the ‘gateway’ to Windsor town centre as the nearby roundabout is a regular ‘gyratory’ and Essex Lodge is ‘not visible’ when traveling along Osborne Road.

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He argued the roundabout in Imperial Road – which has a fountain – is regarded more of a ‘gateway’ to central Windsor.

Kevin Scott, who spoke on behalf of the applicant, urged members to greenlight the plans and not base their decision on ‘feeling’ as they have addressed the major concerns raised in previous applications,  such as reducing the scale of the building and the number of flats.

He also said the plans will contribute to the borough’s housing need and the developers will make a financial contribution to improve Windsor’s public realm.

Despite planning officers recommending the application should be approved, a majority of councillors decided to rebel and refuse the plans on the grounds the designs would harm the appearance of the area and the benefit of flats does not ‘outweigh’ the loss of the heritage asset.

Five councillors were for refusal and three were against – with one member not voting due to technical issues.

The meeting took place on November 18 (Wednesday).