Windsor Yards plans reveal new cinema, hotel, and flats

UREF LP property fund has submitted its scheme to transform the ageing town centre as part of a £100m investment.

It is hoped the changes will make Windsor Yards more attractive to businesses – particularly restaurants and bars – creating 700 jobs, an improved retail offer, and reinvigorate the town’s night-time economy.

Within the planning application, it states little has changed at Windsor Yards, which was originally called King Edward Court, since it first opened in 1980.

It also states the centre has not responded to the massive increase in online shopping which has resulted in retailers either pulling out or going out of business, leading to increased vacancies and falling footfall.

A decision on the application will most likely be made by councillors sitting on the Windsor and Ascot development management panel at a later stage.

Here is what’s detailed within the planning application:

Cinema

A new four-screen boutique cinema with a capacity of 307 seats is proposed to be placed on the east side of Bridgewater Way, above the existing retail units. It was made larger after the purchase of River Island and Superdry in Peascod Street.

The entrance will be created next to Mooboo with the foyer, bar, and seating provided on the first floor.

READ MORE: Could Windsor Yards' name change during major revamp?

Because the proposed cinema will result in a ‘significant financial loss,’ a proposal for eight flats over the three floors above the retained River Island and Superdry stores is proposed to partly fund this.

A communal courtyard for the flats could be created between the cinema and apartments.

New office block and Apart-hotel

To the south of Windsor Yards, it is proposed to be a mix-used area that could include a six-storey office building and a 104-room Apart-hotel, which could be up to six-storeys in height. Both buildings will have access from Bridgewater Way.

The hotel entrance would be adjacent to the office foyer, creating an attractive active ground floor frontage, overlooking a landscaped pocket park with trees, shrubs and seasonal flowering plants, and seating.

What the south of Windsor Yards could look like (Image: Holder Mathia)

Next to the hotel foyer will be a new restaurant which will be accessed from Amberley Place and provided with an external terrace for alfresco eating.

The pedestrian bridge to the residential area to the west that links to Bridgewater Way will be retained but the pathway, which is routed between the former Fenwick Store and the Multi-storey car park, will be built over for the new office floor plates on the upper levels.

The centre

The scheme is proposing to refurbish the existing 24 flats above the shops fronting the western side of Bridgewater Way.

It also wants to provide a total of 50.78 sqm of additional residential accommodation at the gap on the first and second floors, opposite Waitrose.

The proposed apartments will be a mix of studios and one-bedrooms.

Travelodge

A two-storey extension to the existing hotel has been proposed to increase the number of rooms from 113 to 157 (44 additional rooms), which will mainly be family-sized accommodations.

Travelodge’s existing foyer will be extended at ground floor level to make the hotel more prominent and improve surveillance in the area.

Multi-storey car park

The construction of the southern part of the development will result in a loss of 24 parking spaces due to some reconfiguration of the circulation ramps on the lower levels.

However, two new decks could be added to the car park near Windsor Yards to provide 103 car parking spaces, a net gain of 79 spaces, raising the number of spaces to 855.

Office staff will be allocated 58 bays from Monday to Friday but will be available for general use at weekends.

Public realm

A range of public realm enhancements has been proposed to create an attractive and vibrant visitor experience at Windsor Yards.

These include a new pocket garden to the south, along with an outdoor café and restaurant eating areas, raised planters with seating, and improved lighting.

The public realm improvements will also include wayfinding features that will link to the rest of the town centre. A new art feature is proposed at the junction with Peascod Street.

READ MORE: Windsor Yards revamp plans to be submitted in coming weeks

The existing footbridge crossing Charles Street, which links to the residential area to the west of the town centre, will be retained and enhanced by providing new lighting and surface finishes, along with the greening of the bridge structure.

Ecological improvements are also proposed such as bird boxes and introducing green roofs, which will ‘greatly increase’ biodiversity.