Council loses appeal against company looking to turn office into 91 flats

A battle by the council to try to prevent office space in Maidenhead from being turned into flats has been lost.

Developer Bellway Homes wants to demolish Mattel House – the former UK headquarters of toy company Mattel – on Vanwall Road’s business park and build 91 flats in its place.

Windsor and Maidenhead council was minded to refuse this – but ‘fail[ed] to give notice of a decision’ within the time limit, giving the developer automatic recourse to appeal.

It got to make its case directly to the Planning Inspectorate, with the Royal Borough on the defensive.

In hearings taking place last month, the council made the case that it needed to protect office space.