Two separate planning applications in the Ascot area which involved demolishing individual houses and replacing them with multiple units have been turned down by the Government Planning Inspectorate.
The news was welcomed by the Society for the Protection of Ascot, which had opposed the schemes, and a spokesman said : "There has been too much of this type of development in the area, particularly with blocks of flats being built on single-home sites, and we hope the tide has now turned."
The first application was to demolish a house called Ashish Niva in Sunning Avenue, Sunningdale, and replace it with a block of 13 apartments. A similar plan was rejected a couple of years ago, but this time the developer submitted a slightly smaller proposal. The Royal Borough of Windsor & Maidenhead turned this down too, and the developer appealed to the Planning Inspectorate.
The Planning Inspector, who held the appeal hearing, has now ruled against the development saying it "would be completely out of character and would cause significant harm to the street scene."
He said that, in combination with other developemnts in the area, it could lead to increased usage if Chobham Common which is a Special Protected Area as it is a breeding ground for three rare species of bird.
The other application, which had also been turned down by the RBWM, was to knock down a single house, Meadow Court, in London Rd, Ascot, and replace it with four semi-detached houses.
Another Planning Inspector ruled against it on the grounds that it was over-development, would cause traffic and noise problems, and could also have an adverse impact on the SPA.