THE redevelopment of Ascot High Street to include a community centre has moved a step forward to becoming reality after a design brief was passed to architects. 

Following on from public feedback on the need to improve traffic flow and a new community hub, Adam Architecture will create plans that will see a High Street traffic management plan and research into the best way to create a new centre.

In May 2014, the Royal Borough of Windsor and Maidenhead formally adopted the local community of Ascot, Sunninghill and Sunningdale’s plan for the development of the Ascot High Street area. 

The architects will work alongside the Prince’s Foundation for Building Community, which came up with the original idea for the the redeveloped High Street in 2013.

The project will be funded by a group of key stakeholders, including The Crown Estate, Ascot Racecourse Limited, Bloor Homes (responsible for the Car Park 5a area at the racecourse) and Ascot Central Car Parks Ltd, who are in charge of Car Park 5. 

Once created by the architectural firm working on the brief, the plans will be submitted to the Royal Borough of Windsor and Maidenhead to put into place. 

Alastair Warwick, chief operating officer at Ascot Racecourse, said: "This is about taking the plan to rejuvenate Ascot High Street to the next stage. The neighbourhood plan will influence how Ascot, Sunninghill and Sunningdale develops over the next 15 years and we are determined to get it right, which is why we have put the Prince’s Foundation at the forefront of representing the community’s view of the original vision. 

"To that end, I am delighted that our area’s plan received a record breaking 91 per cent  approval rating from the public in the adoption referendum, enabling the stakeholders involved to move forward quickly with a unified strategy."