Just three months after the widely reported decision of a planning Inspector, in October 2022, not to confirm the CPO for the Vicarage Fields scheme in Barking, an Inspector has refused to confirm the Royal Borough of Windsor & Maidenhead (Nicholsons Shopping Centre and Surrounding Area at High Street, Queen Street and King Street, Maidenhead) Compulsory Purchase Order 2022.
The basis of refusal is however very different.
The scheme for which the CPO was made is the “Nicholson Quarter” development which involved the redevelopment of the existing Nicholson Centre to provide a mixed-use development including flexible retail and food units, offices, residential units, accommodation for the elderly and car parking. At the time of the inquiry, in November 2022, there were 11 outstanding objections to the CPO, three of them from owners of leasehold interests proposed to be acquired. Only one objector, leaseholder/occupier SmokeysNightclub, appeared at the inquiry.
Our Planning & Development team acted for several objectors at Vicarage Fields and for one of the leaseholder objectors at Maidenhead, and were also instructed to advise Smokeyson compensation in the event of the CPO being confirmed.
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