Maidenhead golf course details 'confirms protesters fears'

CALA Homes is drafting up proposals to build hundreds of new homes, two schools, public open spaces, and a mixed-use community centre at the Maidenhead golf course site in Shoppenhangers Road.

The site is within the adopted borough local plan, which earmarks multiple sites for thousands of new homes to meet the Royal Borough’s future economic and population growth.

The golf course site has proven to be controversial with campaigners from the Maidenhead Great Park demanding the council to save this greenspace from development and turn it into a great park given the climate crisis.

Maidenhead golf course (Image: LDRS)

A planning application is yet to be put forward, but CALA Homes have submitted an Environment Impact Assessment (EIA) scoping opinion request, which identify protected species and other environmental harm, such as air pollution, at the site during the construction and completion phases.

The Royal Borough said it is considering this request, including consultation with relevant statutory bodies.

Within the EIA document, CALA Homes did not rule out the destruction and permanent loss of habitats and even ‘killing/injuring badgers and slow worms’. The deer that walk across the site was not mentioned.

However, the developer believes killing/injuring those species is ‘significantly unlikely’ but ruled it in for legal compliance.

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It also confirmed trees will be lost, damaged, or disturbed during the development, resulting in the loss of roosting bats and nesting birds. The ‘insensitive construction lighting’ will also disturb commuting and foraging bats in the retained habitats.

Alongside this, CALA Homes also scoped in air quality could worsen due to the construction dust and the increased traffic movements from construction vehicles and private cars from future homeowners.

Maidenhead Great Park campaigners said the EIA confirms “many of their fears” about the “environmental destruction” at the site and criticised the air quality components in the document, saying it is “weak” and does not account for some of the other harmful pollutants like PM2.5.

Maidenhead Great Park protesters (Image: Newsquest staff)

They said: “As well as damaging our ecological environment, this assessment also makes it clear that the people of Maidenhead will effectively be living in a massive building site for the next 10 to 15 years, with significantly increased construction traffic, and the air, noise and light pollution this brings with it.”

The council said it is working on a supplementary planning document (SPD) for South West Maidenhead, which will create a guideline for developers to follow to make development sustainable and help reach net carbon zero.

This includes seeking a 10 per cent biodiversity net gain, a highly connected green spine running north-south through the site, retention of Rushington Copse and as many other trees as practically possible, along with planting new trees.

The spokesperson said: “South West Maidenhead will meet, in a managed way, a significant proportion of our future housing need, by creating a sustainable, high-quality, and distinctive place.

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“Of course, all forms of development, land use, and construction work unfortunately have some impact upon the environment, habitats, and wildlife.”

 A CALA Homes spokesperson said: “The EIA scoping report is a key part of the consultation process. It sets out the potential impact the development could have if measures to protect the environment weren’t put in place.

“Following this, we will continue to work with specialist consultants and stakeholders to develop our plans and ensure these measures are embedded throughout the proposals.

They also said they are hosting a public consultation event on November 24 and feedback from residents and other stakeholders will be considered when drafting a final masterplan.