Slough set to approve £14.6m leisure upgrade

A £14.6 million refurbishment of two of Slough Borough Council’s leisure facilities looks set to get the go ahead on Monday (December 19). The council’s cabinet is likely to approve the upgrades to Langley Leisure Centre and the ten pin bowling alley at Salt Hill Park. Both refurbishments will start in June to coincide with the start of a new leisure contract. The investment is in addition to the new leisure centre in Farnham Road and the refurbishment of the Ice Arena. Langley Leisure

More warehouses planned for South Reading

Plans are being prepared for two warehouse units totalling 11,300 sq m in South Reading. Architects Michael Sparks Associates, on behalf of Exton Estates, has requested a screening opinion from Reading Borough Council on whether an Environmental Impact Assessment is required for a forthcoming planning application for two buildings for possible B1c, B2 and B8 uses (light industrial, general industrial and storage/distribution) uses on a 3.2 hectare site. The land is to the north of Island Road,

Planning permission granted for Wexham Park's new £49m A&E;

The new £49 million A&E; department at Wexham Park Hospital in Slough has been granted planning permission. But the development could still be called in by Secretary of State for Communities Sajid Javid since it falls within the Green Belt. The application, passed by Slough Borough Council on Monday, (December 5) is for an emergency department and medical and surgical assessment unit, installation of a combined heat and power plant at the existing energy centre with associated infrastructure

Judicial review process starts over Heathrow expansion

Legal papers involving four local councils have been served on the Government to try to seek a judicial review of its support for Heathrow expansion. Hillingdon, Richmond and Wandsworth councils along with the Royal Borough of Windsor & Maidenhead plus Greenpeace and a resident of Hillingdon, served the papers on Thursday, December 8. The ‘coalition’ has instructed Harrison Grant solicitors to file the request and hope the case will be heard in the High Court early next year. The claimants

423-homes plan for Fleet goes to committee

An application for 423 homes at Fleet goes before planners at Hart District Council on Wednesday, December 14. Just days after plans for 700 homes and a school were announced by Wates Developments, Hart’s planning committee will consider an application by Berkeley Strategic Land for a site nearby at land north of Netherhouse Copse in Hitches Lane. The 35 hectare site includes 13.42 hectares of Suitable Alternative Natural Greenspace (SANG) which would form an extension to Edenbrook Country

Sunninghill High Street widening plan

Sunninghill High Street may be widened to cope with congestion. The Royal Borough of Windsor & Maidenhead has proposed widening a section of the road by 1.2 metres to allow two lanes to run during peak times along the whole of the High Street. Under the plan most of the parking spaces will be retained. Cllr Phill Bicknell, cabinet member for highways and transport, said: “These proposals offer us a chance to improve access to Sunninghill for everyone. “By reclaiming a small section of the

Capita Hall praised as Jacksons plan is approved

The developer of the former Jacksons store in Reading was praised by the council over its scheme to convert the building into flats and restaurants. Capita Hall has given approval by Reading Borough Council’s planning applications committee in Wednesday (December 7) to create three restaurants on the ground floor and 33 flats in the upper floors and in a separate building at the rear. Crucially the application included plans to preserve the frontage of the much-missed department store along

700 homes and a school proposed at Elvetham Chase, Fleet

Plans for 700 homes and a primary school have been submitted to Hart District Council. Wates Developments has submitted the plans on 146 acres of land known as Elvetham Chase, north of Fleet. It forms a second phase of a previous development known as Elvetham Heath, Of the 146 acres, 80 will remain undeveloped as green space, much of it forming a country park . There will also be a ‘green corridor’ on the development which will connect with the nearby Edenbrook Country Park. The application

Grove Business Park approval will create hundreds of jobs

The planned major expansion of Grove Business Park at Wantage has been approved. Plans to add 220,000 sq ft of space to the Oxfordshire park had stalled in October after a question over an Environmental Impact Assessment arose. The application was deferred at October’s meeting of Vale of White Horse District Council. Now the planning committee’s approval is set to bring s significant jobs boost the area. Many of the old buildings have already been demolished to make way for more than modern

BlackBerry welcomed by Royal Borough

BlackBerry’s move to Maidenhead town centre has prompted a welcome from the Royal Borough. The communications giant moved its European headquarters to the three floors in the Pearce Building. Cllr Simon Dudley, leader of the council, said: “Maidenhead is on the move and BlackBerry’s arrival is a great step forward in our vision of achieving the dynamic future the town deserves as we build a borough for everyone.” Florian Bienvenu, senior vice president, enterprise sales EMEA at BlackBerry,