PRoM - Vision for Maidenhead Town Centre - Priorities for Action

In addition to the ten strategic objectives and the underlying concept for improving pedestrian permeability and accessibility, five 'defining' priorities for action have been identified for the regeneration of the town centre. These will be key to its future over the medium to longer term and is important to plan for these now so that they can be delivered in a timely fashion..

• Triangle Site (Broadway, King Street, Queen Street triangle) – Redevelopment of this site at the heart of the retail core will allow Maidenhead to claw back retail expenditure that has been leaking to other centres and deliver other major regeneration benefits in the town centre. If properly planned and designed to create attractive and legible retail circuits, a retail led mixed use scheme will also bring benefit to other parts of the town's retail offer as well as create greater pedestrian permeability throughout. 
   
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• Railway Station – Refurbishment and expansion of the station is key to improving accessibility and providing a public transport interchange that can cater for growth in the town. This is required without the advent of Crossrail as the station is severed from its town centre. However, Crossrail will make Maidenhead an even more popular interchange and main line station, emphasising the need for significant improvements in and around the station. 
   
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• Football Ground/Bowls Club – Given its location and size, redevelopment of this site could provide a strategic opportunity to introduce a new high quality mixed use 'destination' development for Maidenhead town centre. Much detailed work is required to advance a proposal, including appraisals of options and costs, planning policy, and the scale and nature of development on this, and surrounding sites for a comprehensive scheme. It is envisaged that the site could lend itself to a variety of uses in a mixed scheme – residential, office, hotel and conference facilities and also has the potential to embrace or introduce the York Stream and other water features into a new destination.
    
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• West Street Area – The site site occupies a strategic location at the North West of the town centre. It is important in a number of ways. Firstly, it represents a development site in its own right, which could see a mix of uses, potentially residential-led with active ground floor frontages. Secondly, the site has considerable potential to facilitate a crossing of the road to the park and public open space beyond to promote better linkages with this underused amenity asset. Detailed work needs to be carried out as to how this can be achieved. Lastly, we note the sites importance in providing a destination and return for the Western end of the High Street, which at present stops dead at the ring road. 
   
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• Waterways Restoration and Enhancement – The aims are to restore and enhance the waterways to become a major feature in the town centre, and to stabilise the existing water levels to allow for boating and encouraging of wildlife. By restoring and enhancing the waterways other specific sites could also be improved e.g. the Chapel Arches basin, the riverside area at Town Moor and the adjacent area at the Football Ground site. Proposals to make them navigable and open then up so residents and visitors can relax and enjoy leisure time are being made.

It will not be possible to achieve all the actions immediately and therefore it is important to prioritise some key works in the short term that will facilitate some 'early moves' and confirm the Council's and PRoM's commitment to regenerating the town centre. The action plan sets these and early wins out. These could include public realm and gateway enhancement works, a skyline and lighting strategy for the centre and working with local businesses and retailers in promoting new events and activities in drawing more residents into the town centre both during the day and evening.