Foreword by Leader of the Council and the Cabinet Member for Planning
We are delighted to present the adopted Borough Local Plan for the Royal Borough of Windsor and Maidenhead. The Borough Local Plan promotes a sustainable pattern of development for the Borough until 2033. The plan aims to provide for high quality new housing in the right places, including affordable housing, family housing and accessible housing, whilst at the same time meeting employment needs and protecting our valued natural and built historic environment and assets. As the plan evolved, we sought to strengthen it by increasing the emphasis on placemaking and tackling climate change, recognising that the Royal Borough declared an environment and climate emergency in 2019. The plan will also ensure that new development is supported by suitable infrastructure, including the roads, schools, leisure, parks, open spaces and community facilities we need, as well as saving spaces for nature. It will also protect key employment areas, unlock opportunities for future sustainable economic growth and support our town centre regeneration ambitions.
The plan aims to protect and enhance those elements that make our Borough special in the eyes of not only our residents but all those who choose to visit, work and invest in the Royal Borough of Windsor and Maidenhead. We are privileged to be home to one of the most recognisable and valued historic assets in the country, Windsor Castle and the Windsor Great Park which the Borough Local Plan seeks to protect not only for our own benefit but also for future generations.
The adopted Borough Local Plan is based on a substantial and robust evidence base and on the results of several consultations, as guided by national policy and legislation. We have worked with partners including our neighbouring local authorities, statutory bodies and local communities and agencies, as well as considering the many emerging and adopted Neighbourhood Plans being prepared by towns, parishes and neighbourhood forums.
Planning often presents difficult choices and requires a balance of national policy and local wishes. We have sought to use brownfield land wherever possible. A very small amount of Green Belt (1%) in sustainable locations has been released to meet local needs, but this leaves the remaining 82% to be protected in the future. Your Council believes this plan sets out the right framework for the future development of the Royal Borough with policies to protect our most valued landscapes and open spaces whilst also delivering the required level of housing and employment opportunities to meet our growing needs.
Cllr Andrew Johnson, Leader of the Council
Cllr David Coppinger, Cabinet Member for Planning, Environmental Services and Maidenhead
