Nestled in London’s green belt is a small, affluent market town that attracts some of the city’s wealthiest commuters due to its convenient transport links and slower pace of life.
But now, locals have expressed their fury at the demolition of their beloved town’s only remaining ‘green lung’ – a 132-acre golf course which is set to be replaced with 1,500 homes, two schools and shops.
Describing the 18-hole golf course as a ‘haven for humanity’, Tina Quadrino, who set up Maidenhead Great Park campaign group to oppose the planning, told of her anger at ‘the horror’ that is set to occur.
She added: ‘The golf course was a real sanctuary for people during the pandemic and the thought of losing it is just horrendous.
‘Nobody is going to be able to afford these houses, it’s just going to be full of people with second homes.
‘Our petition against the building has over 4,000 signatures, but we’ve been ignored the whole way through with almost no compromises.
‘We’ll keep fighting, we won’t ever give up and will continue to scrutinise other applications as best as we can. It’s such a beautiful space that we can’t lose, it just isn’t worth it.’
Outline planning permission was provided for the council-owned woodlands and large open space on Thursday, February 13, in a Royal Borough of Windsor and Maidenhead council meeting.
If the plans are permitted to go ahead, the estate, set to be called the Elizabeth Quarter, will be located nearby to Maidenhead’s Town Centre and comprise of 30 per cent affordable housing.
However, local residents are enraged by the possibility of the golf course, made up of 40 per cent woodland, being bulldozed. Andrew Hill, a campaigner with a legal background, described it as a ‘disaster pending’.
Mr Hill said: ‘The plan is illogical and counterintuitive, the traffic delays this planning will create could be up to 40 minutes.
‘You’re taking away the green lung of Maidenhead at a time where we are supposed to be having a climate emergency. Local people are just horrified.’
A popular spot for Londoners to relocate to due to its close proximity to the city, many residents fear that the built-up estate will result in Maidenhead losing its idyllic feel as a result of ‘ugly’ and ‘out of place’ new-builds.
Michael Young, who walks along the public footpath across the golf course with his young children and dogs daily, said he believes the decision is ‘outrageous’.
The father-of-two said: ‘My family and I came here almost daily during lockdown, it’s a place for our children to get some fresh air and green spaces like this are why we left London about 13 years ago.
‘Maidenhead was originally an affordable family place to live nearby to London and now we are seeing really out of place, modern homes being built up. It will just look odd.’
The contested plans in Maidenhead are one of many being recently observed across parts of the green belt.
In 2024, the Labour Government announced controversial plans to tackle the UK’s growing housing crisis by forcing councils to prioritise building homes on ‘poor quality’ parts of the green belt.
In an endeavor to build 1.5 million additional homes over the next five years, parts of the green belt will be identified as ‘grey belt’ land, permitting further development in particular circumstances.
Councillor Simon Werner, leader of the Royal Borough of Windsor and Maidenhead Council, described the loss of land as ‘tragic’ for the local community.
He added: ‘It’s an amazing piece of countryside. It’s very unique to have such beautiful countryside right in the heart of a town centre like that.
‘The decision has been forced through despite the vast majority of people in Maidenhead opposing it.’
Established in 1896, the golf club comprises of up to 700 members, many of whom are devastated at the thought of being forced out.
Gill Griffith, a local resident who plays golf on the course weekly, said that the club’s members are ‘heartbroken’ by the planning application that could see the thriving course close for the final time on December 31, 2025.
Ms Griffith added: ‘It’s not just a golf course, the club membership is so strong, there’s so much community here.
‘The golf course is in better condition than most golf courses at this time of year, it’s a dream spot to come to. It’s all such a shame.’
Despite local criticism, Conservative Councillor Maureen Hunt insisted that the site of the golf course will serve as ‘an ideal and lovely place to call home for so many families’.
Ms Hunt added: ‘Whether the land is a green field or a private member’s golf club everyone is always saddened by its loss for development.
‘However, with this loss of the private golf club comes the benefits for so many with new homes, a senior school and junior school, open community spaces and community facilities on this council owned land.
‘We as a council need to provide homes for our residents and their families and more importantly, we do want them to be somewhere that people want to live.
‘With the ancient woodland and all that is proposed in the planning submission on this site plus the fact it is close to the town centre, will make the site an ideal and lovely place to call home for so many families.
‘The cross party planning committee deliberated and discussed the application for four hours at the meeting and all members were unanimously in favour of the plans put forward.’
John Allen, Managing Director at Cala Homes, said: ‘We’re delighted to have secured a resolution to grant outline planning permission for Elizabeth Quarter.
‘In partnership with the Borough, we’ve worked incredibly hard over the last six years to develop a plan that will create the kind of place we all want to live in – one with community and sustainability at its heart – and we’re proud of what we have achieved.
‘We’ve focused on protecting and retaining as many of the existing natural assets of the site as possible, as well as opening up new green spaces that will bring people together and connect those living in and alongside the development.
‘By providing a variety of new homes, including a significant number of affordable homes as well as self and custom build options, we’ll build a diverse and thriving community at Elizabeth Quarter.’