22 November 2024

Share your views to help shape the future of Ascot

Residents and business owners are invited to have their say this winter on the draft document that will help inform planning decisions for Ascot, including the future of the High Street.
Collage of images of Ascot village and high street

This follows engagement with the local community earlier this year to identify a shared vision for future development in the village, including rejuvenating Ascot as a vibrant place for the community, improving the high street and protecting the village’s green spaces.

That feedback has now been included in a draft Supplementary Planning Document (SPD) with potential options for how the High Street might be improved, ways of achieving better walking and cycling connectivity across Ascot, and a series of improvements to local infrastructure to support new development.

It also includes a number of design principles to guide new development in the village centre to ensure it is coordinated, a clear layout of streets and spaces to ease movement and access, a network of green infrastructure, open spaces and places where the community can live and spend time together. It also sets out how car parking issues in the centre of Ascot might be addressed.

Once finalised, the SPD will be used together with the Royal Borough’s Local Plan and Neighbourhood Plan for Ascot, Sunninghill and Sunningdale to make decisions on planning applications and ensure that future projects are carried out in a ‘joined-up’ way.

People who live, work or visit Ascot are encouraged to share their views by completing the consultation questions on the council’s website and providing more detailed comments on the main consultation document. Help getting online or requesting a printed copy of the consultation questions can be obtained from Ascot Durning Library, and libraries in Maidenhead, Windsor and Sunninghill, where you can also view printed copies of the consultation documents.

The consultation runs until Sunday 19 January 2025.

Local residents and business owners are also invited to attend one of three drop-in sessions being held in December:

  • Ascot Durning Library - Thursday 5 December from 2pm to 6.30pm
  • Ascot Football Club - Monday 9 December from 5pm to 8pm
  • Ascot Durning Library - Wednesday 11 December from 10.30am to 1.30pm

Cllr Adam Bermange, Cabinet member for planning, governance and asset management, said: “As Ascot evolves, we want to keep a focus on enhancing the village centre as a high-quality place to live, visit and do business.

“It is vital that future development reflects residents’ views, including on how it will contribute to the rejuvenation of the centre of Ascot, protect the area’s green and leafy character and help local people to thrive.

“If you are a local resident, business owner or worker, please take a moment to have your say and help strengthen the final document that we’ll use to shape that future.”