open space & facilities

A central element of the proposed scheme is to not only provide new homes and employment opportunities but also to create new and improved social spaces and facilities that can be of benefit to the entire community.

The site neighbours the public Vansittart Park, which has, for many years, been under-utilised and in need of enhancement. Whilst this park is owned by the council, St Congar is keen to work alongside it and other voluntary organisations to improve this important community facility.

With this in mind, the redevelopment of this site offers the opportunity to open up improved access to the park, providing a pleasant and uninterrupted route from it to the town centre.

A central boulevard running through the site provides a spectacular entrance off Alma Road, between the new state-of-the-art office and residential areas and into the park.

In the centre of the site, a public square likely to comprise cafes, restaurants and retail facilities, offers a perfect location for business and social meetings or for simply grabbing a coffee and a snack during a break from work or on a leisurely stroll.

This provides an important facility not only for those living and working within the development but also for those nearby, who will be more likely to head to this destination than to make a car journey elsewhere.

By maintaining the development zone within the central site area and aligning the residential buildings in an east-west orientation, the design also seeks to minimise the mass and bulk of the development in respect of the key views of Windsor Castle from the public open space of Vansittart Park.