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A historic pub and former Michelin-starred restaurant has been reduced to a pile of rubble after demolition took place without the permission of the Royal Borough.
Work has been ongoing to redevelop The Royal Oak pub, in Paley Street, and transform it into a modern restaurant.
The council granted planning permission to redevelop part of the site on April 20.
But this week Windsor and Maidenhead council confirmed the core of the former 19th century pub had been demolished without its permission.
A spokesman said: “The council did approve an application earlier this year for the redevelopment of the site, however this included the retention and refurbishment of the historic core of the building.
“The council did not give planning permission to demolish the core of the former pub, yet disappointingly this has now taken place and the council’s planning enforcement team are involved.”
Members of the public contacted the Advertiser in May after spotting mechanical diggers at the site.
The statement added that since the whole building has been demolished, the previous planning permission can no longer be implemented. The spokesman said: “One of the applicant’s lawful options in seeking to regularise their planning situation was to submit a new planning application.”
He continued: “A planning application has been submitted for redevelopment of the site, including retrospective demolition of the building and rebuilding of the historic core, and this application is under consideration.”
Chris Bagot Architects Ltd, representing applicant Paley Street Limited, originally said there was a chance it could retain some of the historic fabric of the building.
But the architects later wrote the condition of the building was ‘too poor for the original fabric to be safely retained’.
In planning documents, seen by the Advertiser, the architects said: “For the site to prosper as a community pub and restaurant, a redeveloped site provides the answer to ensure its long-term prosperity.
“To achieve this goal, our client, with all their experience in this field, is willing to invest significant sums to create a new establishment fit for the 21st Century.
“The Royal Oak has been carefully selected as a great opportunity which would benefit from the same pedigree, investment and enthusiasm,” they concluded.
Members of the public contacted the Advertiser in May with concerns over the scale of the work they observed taking place, seeing mechanical diggers tearing into building’s exterior.
Ward councillor Maureen Hunt (Con), said: “The residents are all bewildered.
“You don’t see properties in the greenbelt demolished without planning permission.
“The pub had a very good reputation – it was owned by Michael Parkinson’s son and he used to frequent it. The London crowd came down and a lot of people have been there to eat.”
In Januray 2018 during her time as Prime Minister, Maidenhead MP Theresa May took French president Emmanuel Macron to the Royal Oak for lunch during a visit to the UK.
Paley Street Limited could not be reached for comment by the Advertiser.
