On 2 March 2021, we presented our petition for debate at an Extraordinary Full Council meeting. Councillor Helen Taylor of Oldfield Ward supported our motion to protect the greenspace of Maidenhead Golf Course with the following words:
“I would like to share a press release from 31 July 1953 with this council, entitled ‘Action to preserve open space’:
“With a bid of £12,100, the mayor (Councillor T A Stutchbury) bought Maidenhead Golf Course when it was offered for sale by auction, together with other lands of the Desborough Estate, at Maidenhead Town Hall on Friday.
“In a statement to the Borough Council on Tuesday, he explained how he came to be the bidder, named two associates and said their combined action was to prevent this land falling into the hands of those less concerned about its future than local people.
“If the council desired, they could buy the land for the purchase price of £12,100.
“Immediately after the public meeting, the council made a commitment and unanimously decided to buy the golf course. They took the view that this land was scheduled as open space in the development plan and that public ownership was the best way of ensuring that it remained an open space.”
Public ownership
Cllr Taylor then said: “Lord Desborough wanted the land to be for the use of the public and to preserve open space.
“The mayor of this council in 1953 wanted the land to be preserved as open space. This council in 1953 wanted to place the land into public ownership to preserve the open space.
“Nearly 70 years later, this council wants to dismiss the wishes of those who came before them, under the guise of providing much needed housing for local people.
“Mr Mayor, the local people have been priced out of property in Maidenhead. Affordable housing is rarely affordable. To the average local on an average wage, they cannot buy in Maidenhead. They even struggle with shared ownership.
“The devastating effect that this will have on the ecosystem will not be reversible. Once this is done – it is done. Even with the greatest care, animals will be displaced, habitats will be destroyed. And most galling of all, is perhaps the pledge to put back the net gain in biodiversity, not in Oldfield Ward where it has been taken out, but into Cox Green ward.
“Our green spaces are disappearing at an alarming rate.
“I would ask, that this council, look to market Maidenhead for the locals. Not the future residents of the borough, as we need to help our local residents now. This space was for the locals.
“Mr Mayor, we are the council of the Royal Borough of Windsor and Maidenhead, we are elected by the residents. In 1953, the council put the future of their residents ahead of any financial gain from development. When will we do the same?”
It is shocking that the council is allowing developers to build on such a large green space. We’ve already lost so much green space just over the bridge (not RBWM granted), Oakley Green is going to be built on, the land by Bray Lake which is now the hospice to name a few. Our wildlife is losing its habitat and it saddens me. The increase in traffic these homes will create is another issue…….
Thank you for your comments Sally.
It really is so upsetting to think what little green space will be left for future generations.
Can I please ask you to write to your local MP and local Cllr telling them how you feel and that the environmentally damaging Borough Local Plan should not be adopted when it comes to full council early in the New Year?
Keep watching this space for more news and actions that you can take part in. We do not stop fighting this until the last…
We are very grateful for your support.
Maidenhead is turning into a concrete jungle. Sure there was a housing shortage and so many had to be built during a number of years, but I thought that was in England as a whole. I must have got the facts wrong as it seems they are building them all in Maidenhead. Why? Our town is no longer a town. Surely for all the flats that have been built over the last few years we should have more amenities. We don’t have a hospital which I think is essential, do we have ample policing? There are many things we need including green space before considering more housing.
Dear Irene,
I could not agree with you more… green space is not a luxury – it is essential to our health and wellbeing just as much as hospitals are.
Please can I ask that you write to your local MP and your local Cllr with regards to your thoughts on this. It really is imperative that your local Cllr rejects the Borough Local Plan when it is debated at a full council meeting in the New Year.
Please watch this space for further events and information in relation to this.
The goes on until the last….
Thank you again for your support.
I agree its shocking that they want to build on this land but at same time it is currently a golf course where most the general public can not use anyway bar a few golfers. To open it up as Maidenhead great park would be excellent but this would need to be open to all the public.
Thanks for your comment Ian.
We agree that ideally it should be open to all but at the moment the golfers have a lease until 2039 although that will change very soon if the Borough Local Plan gets adopted.
If we were able to stop the Borough Local Plan (BLP) then as a community we could discuss the various options for this space – given that we own it!
Certainly in the meantime we could work with the golf club to potentially increase public access to a certain extent. But even if it were to stay a golf course, it is helping us as a community immeasurably as our green lung, absorbing particulate matter from the surrounding motor traffic and even from the air traffic.
Can I please ask that you write to your local MP to express your views and your ward Cllr to ask that this environmentally damaging BLP is rejected when it comes to vote in the New Year?
Thank you for your support. We will fight this until the last….
Our roads cannot provide for the traffic already using local routes. Not only is it local traffic but once combined with the in coming traffic that needs to cross town for either M4 /M40 or Bath Road; and Windsor-local movement becomes increasingly congested at pinch points. Traffic movement is already restricted and routes limited due to the town’s position between the river on one side, mainline rail lines; and the M4 on the other. Further building will simply increase the pressure on local roads restricting movement further and affecting access to local amenities and businesses.
You are absolutely right Anne and what puzzles me the most is that this green lung, that is the golf course, is helping to combat all the pollution from that traffic right now. If it is gone then not only will we have more traffic from the new houses but we have to deal with the current levels of pollution too. It just doesn’t make any sense to me at all!
Could I please ask that you write to your local MP about this? And also please write to your local Cllr to tell them that you do not want them to vote through the environmentally damaging Borough Local Plan when it comes to full council in the New Year.
Thanks so much for your support and watch this space for more information and action that you can take to make your thoughts known.
I find it very sad that what was a lovely town in 1990 when we moved here…good shops including proper butchers…bakery…many great little boutiques…lots of green trees and spaces…a pleasant and happy community…very little crime. Good police policies and even a wonderful town Hospital.
There must be many people who remember how proud they were of our town and visitors loved it also. Such a history all , not just in jeopardy …but GONE.
Thank you Patricia. I moved here not even 10 years after you and I remember it that way too… It really is a shadow of its former self and unfortunately the only grand plan seems to be to sell off all our assets to developers with questionable architectural designs and absolutely no care for the people of Maidenhead.
But can we really stand by and let them take away the jewel in our crown also? Once the golf club lease is up in 2039, just think what we could have here instead? A revenue generating park perhaps, a sanctuary for wildlife, even more pollutant and carbon absorbing trees… it really could be wonderful.
So I beg you to please make your feelings known to our local MP and also write to your local Cllr and tell them that you do not want them to adopt the environmentally damaging Borough Local Plan.
We will keep posting blogs on here with more news and information. We also have our facebook page and other social media avenues.
Thank you again for your support.
New York has central parkwhen they have finished turning maidenhead town centre into high rise buildings we will need a green park too give us the golf course then life might be bearable for people living in high rise flats and nature will benefit
to
Hi Sylvia
I agree that the golf course could be the equivalent of Central Park for us here in Maidenhead. How awesome would that be? If would be great for the town from an environmental point of view but also it would help us all be happier and healthier. And people would want to visit us too and bring their families to buy ice creams from our local businesses etc.
The fight for our green lung is not over by a long way! I want my children and grand children to be able to breathe clean air and be able to see nature in all its glory!
To that end I wanted to ask you to write to your Local MP and tell her what you think about concreting over this beautiful pristine parkland and woodland.
In addition please write to your local Cllr and ask them to reject the environmentally damaging Borough Local Plan (BLP) when it is discussed at full Council in the New Year. The BLP is the main document that means the council will stop treating it like greenbelt and will be able to build over 2000 homes on it, destroying mature trees and important habitat for biodiversity at the same time 🙁
Thank you so much for your support. Keep an eye out on this website and on our social media platforms for information about what else we are doing to keep up the good fight…
I think many know my feeling on this subject & how I feel about our tory councillors; most of them have been whipped by the WhatsApp five. I would have thought of it staying a golf course as many of the members believe that they were pushed into a corner, but it seems that can not happen. It needs to be protected by becoming a great park. Not good at expressing myself in words.