Ascot regeneration plan could ‘strangle and kill it’, resident says

Ascot residents will soon get a say on a draft of a masterplan that says it aims to transfer the area into a ‘destination town.’

Councillor Adam Bermange, responsible for planning at the Royal Borough of Windsor and Maidenhead, said the plan is a ‘unique opportunity'.

He said the plan would be ‘a vision to rejuvenate Ascot with an improved high street and high-quality new development that is well integrated and protects its green leafy character'.

But some residents raised fears that there wouldn’t be enough parking, and that a planned cycle lane along the High Street would back up traffic – especially on race days at Ascot Racecourse.

A council description of the draft plan says new cycleways along Ascot High Street could ‘improve connectivity, encourage more sustainable modes of transport and create family friendly places for people to dwell and spend more time in the town'.

It says this could reduce the amount of on-street parking that is available.

But it also says connections to Ascot Racecourse’s car park three – which is open to the public – and a new car park six on Winkfield Road ‘would be sufficient to support people who do prefer to drive to the town'.

A map shows how RBWM would like to reshape Ascot town centre (Image: RBWM)

Gary Morris from the Society for the Protection of Ascot and Envrions said the plan was ‘of vital importance to Ascot’. But he said the one touted by the council was full of ‘glaring errors’ and needed to be ‘fundamentally re-written'.

He told council leaders: “Ascot has very few facilities – no village hall, no community hub, not even a children’s play area and nil public sporting facilities. We have bad public transport except the reasonable but certainly not good east-west rail line.”

But he added: “To reduce the car to the lowest level of importance will strangle and kill a vibrant Ascot. Most of the current parking that’s available is on privately-owned land.

“To suggest a key cycle route coming from nowhere and going nowhere along the high street with the effect it will have on parking and traffic flow is ludicrous.

“The idea of losing a road carriageway along the main A329 will further exacerbate and restrict traffic flows.”

Jackie McCarten from a community group that oversees development in Ascot also said the plan had major flaws around travel parking.

She said: “There is an assumption that people will cycle or walk to the high street but the reality is that the approaches to the high street both from the station and Sunninghill are difficult for the demographic of our residents and there is no bus service.”

“The provision of a second cycle route on the High Street will result in the loss of one road lane which will cause congestion on most days and chaos on race days.”

Councillor Bermange said the draft of the plan that residents will be consulted on is still being completed.

He added it could change further after the consulation, taking residents views into account.

The consultation is expected to be launched in September and last for six weeks.