Outraged residents have pushed back against plans for a controversial housing development on Sunninghill High Street.

The plan to build a three-story building which is proposed to include 14 new build residential units and a 3,534 square feet (328 square metre) retail unit on the ground floor will be decided at a planning meeting this month.

Following consultation with nearby residents, the local parish council and a local protection society the main fear is that the ‘overbearing’ structure opposite St Michael’s school will be both an ‘eyesore’ and a detriment to the historical town.

As part of the proposal process, developer Wooldridge Group Ltd outlined in their design and access statement that the ‘buildings have been carefully designed to work with the character of the surrounding context’.

However, images of the development have caused concern that the design is ‘too contemporary’ and will ruin the character of the village.

Sunninghill and Ascot Parish council commented: “Our parish council is deeply concerned at the proposed development and strongly recommend refusal for many reasons, including the damage it will cause to the character of the village, to the setting of the historic Cordes Hall and to the amenity of the adjacent properties.

“It fails to comply with many of the policies of the applicable made planning documents, including the recently adopted Borough Local Plan (BLP), Sunninghill and Ascot Neighbourhood Plan.”

Although only 22 surrounding households were notified of the pending development, the Royal Borough of Windsor and Maidenhead received 59 ‘public comments’ all outlining their objection to the project.

Society for protection of Ascot and Environ said: “Due to the popularity of the village in recent years and growing developments that are already in works, the traffic flowing through the charming village is often a concern.

Sunninghill village already suffers from frequent traffic congestion and a shortage of parking for local residents, shoppers, visitors and workers.

This is particularly evident on Kings Road, where congestion is a major problem with vehicles regularly parking on the pavement, to the inconvenience of pedestrians, to allow through traffic.

The proposed 34 parking spaces are regarded so inadequate that people may be forced to park on Kings Road causing more congestion.

A major objection is that this structure will sit adjacent to Corbes Hall, which has sat in the village of Sunninghill for many years.

Writing on behalf of Corbes Hall, Mrs Jenny Faulkner-Hooper said: “I lived in the village for 25 years and am a member of the Quince Players for 45 years and have spent many of them in the Cordes Hall.

“This historical building will be dwarfed by the sheer scale of the proposed development.

“Who knows what structural damage the creation of this monstrosity will have on this Victorian building? The planning is distasteful and not in keeping with the small village.”

One resident who lives opposite the proposed site said: “There is no room in the village for more cars. It’s blocked up every day in the morning and the afternoon and its bedlam when children come in and out of school.

“Also, if it is at the height I think it will be, it will be blocking our light.

“We have to contend with all the housing going up at the top of the village at Gas Works fields and we think it is more than enough. It’s getting too big for our village.”

Zoe Howard has also put forward an interesting concern that if the project was completed, the air quality around the school would be reduced to the detriment of children at St Michaels School.

This would be because of the increased traffic flow and therefore higher emissions.

We asked Wooldridge Group developers to comment regarding their work on this project however they have not provided a statement on this occasion.