Maidenhead & Windsor

Royal Borough plans to relocate Maidenhead's Castle Hill Youth and Community Centre will become a reality in the early spring when the contractor starts work on the centre's new home at 4 Marlow Road.

The Grade II listed Marlow Road building, currently used by Maidenhead social services staff, will be extended and converted for use by Castle Hill's popular community and youth activities and to provide accommodation for four major providers of community services – the Citizens Advice Bureau, RELATE, No 22 Youth Counselling Service and Connexions.

Cabinet, meeting on Thursday December 14, agreed to appoint Oxford-based building contractors Knowles and Son to carry out the £2.4 million project and they are likely to be on site from the middle of March 2007, with the new centre open for business in spring 2008.

This is a significant step forward in long-held plans to boost town centre services for young people and for the wider community, including people with disabilities, and the council has thanked Castle Hill users, the management committee and community organisations for their patience and support.

Funding for the new Maidenhead scheme will come from the proceeds of the sale of the 1.1 acre Castle Hill site for new homes close to the town centre. The council has a duty to get the best possible deal when disposing of its land and over the past six months has been going through a strict tender process to find a developer who would not only offer a good price for the site but also propose to develop it in a way that fits with and enhances the surrounding environment.

The tender process resulted in 13 responses, all of which were analysed to find the one offering the best possible outcome for the borough. As a result, cabinet agreed that the council should enter into a conditional agreement with Michael Shanly Homes – one of the conditions being that any proposed development must involve full public consultation. To this end a public meeting is scheduled for later in the year.

The Maidenhead development would also be dependent on planning permission being granted and the Shanly proposal for the site would have to go through the normal planning process, which also includes time for public consultation.

The Royal Borough of Windsor and Maidenhead