The Nicholson Quarter will offer a new vibrant heart for Maidenhead town centre reimagining the site with new buildings, squares, streets and spaces designed to encourage exploration and discovery. Proposals include 755 homes alongside 101 senior living homes, 1.65 acres of public open space, over 120,000 sqft of workspace and more than 55 new shops, restaurants and bars to establish a thriving daytime and evening economy and footfall.

Pedestrian prioritisation has enabled an approach that facilitates the greening of the town centre, nurturing healthier spaces and promoting sustainable modes of transport and movement within Maidenhead. One of the most sustainable proposals in the borough, the project will include considerable provisions for cycling, electric vehicle charging points and an extensive tree planting programme contributing to a substantial biodiversity net gain.

High-quality, new buildings will enclose and define new, open public realm in a more traditional urban form, reinstating the original streets and spaces lost through the development of the old shopping centre. Central to the plan will be the creation of ‘Sir Nicholas Winton Square,’ named by local residents and forms the new heart for the town, connecting to surrounding streets through a series of routes, each with its own character and purpose.

Architectural details have been carefully drawn from several significant buildings along the High Street to establish a connection with Maidenhead’s historic character. A mix of red and buff-toned bricks and a rich ground floor material palette referencing the former Nicholson Brewery branding, provide an engaging streetscape inspired by local history. The Sounding Arch has been studied as a key reference, with its distinctive arches in the bridge over the River Thames. This feature has been incorporated into the architectural strategy, creating a contemporary design that draws inspiration from the town’s wider heritage assets.

In collaboration with Areli Developments, JTP’s work on the design for The Nicholson Quarter began in 2019 with an intensive Community Planning Weekend that engaged a wide range of stakeholders and local community members through workshops, activities and presentations. The team reached over 27,000 households, resulting in 82% support for our plans. The output of the weekend formed a framework and set of design aspirations that informed the design and engagement of the subsequent Pre-Application process and planning submission.

“The JTP team is excited to bring forward this once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to reimagine Maidenhead’s town centre. Our vision is rooted in the community’s aspirations and guided by the town’s rich heritage – transforming an outdated shopping centre into a vibrant, mixed-use neighbourhood of streets, squares, and spaces that people will feel proud to call home, work in, and visit. This is about breathing life back into the high street through placemaking, sustainability, and design that connects past and future.”

– Emmet O’Sullivan, Partner at JTP