Planning Consultants in Windsor
Windsor combines one of England's most recognisable historic townscapes, centred on Windsor Castle, with Thames-side villages and the Green Belt countryside of Windsor Great Park. Planning applications in Windsor, Eton, Datchet, Old Windsor, Wraysbury, Ascot and Sunningdale are decided by the Royal Borough of Windsor & Maidenhead, where heritage, flood risk and Green Belt policy shape most proposals.
Common in Windsor
Local planning authority: Royal Borough of Windsor & Maidenhead (RBWM)
Planning Consultants in Windsor and Ascot
We advise homeowners, landowners, developers and businesses in Windsor, Eton, Datchet, Old Windsor, Wraysbury, Ascot, Sunninghill and Sunningdale from our office in Taplow, a short drive away. RBWM determines applications against the Borough Local Plan (2022) and neighbourhood plans in several parishes, and began work on a replacement plan to 2045 in 2026.
Central Windsor and Eton are covered by conservation areas and contain many listed buildings, and the setting of Windsor Castle and the Great Park is a key consideration for larger proposals. We prepare heritage statements and design-led applications for extensions, alterations, changes of use and new homes in these sensitive locations.
Outside the town, almost all of the land is Metropolitan Green Belt, and Datchet, Old Windsor and Wraysbury lie in the Thames floodplain, so extensions and replacement dwellings often depend on Green Belt proportionality and a flood risk Sequential Test. Around Ascot and Sunningdale, new homes within 5km of the Thames Basin Heaths must also secure SANG and SAMM mitigation.
Affected by Heathrow expansion? Get prepared now.
The third runway will need land, homes and business premises around the airport. Whatever the timetable, the planning evidence that protects your position is easiest to gather now. We help landowners, homeowners and businesses establish their land's planning potential, respond at each stage, from Heathrow's consultation (27 October to 22 December 2026) to the examination, and plan relocation.
Planning Services in Windsor
Urban Vista Planning provides the full range of planning consultancy services to clients across Windsor — from homeowners and landowners to developers and businesses. Our Chartered Town Planners are MRTPI-accredited and experienced in dealing with the planning authorities operating in Windsor.
- Planning permission applications
- Pre-application advice
- Planning appeals
- Permitted development assessments
- Lawful Development Certificates
- Change of use applications
- Heritage and listed building consent
- Ecology & Biodiversity Net Gain
- Highways and transport assessments
- Infrastructure consenting
- Equestrian and rural planning
- Discharge of planning conditions
Why Urban Vista Planning?
MRTPI & MCIHT Accredited
Our Chartered Town Planners and specialist associates are accredited and regulated by their professional bodies, including the RTPI and CIHT.
UK-Wide Coverage
We advise clients across England and Wales, including Windsor, from our offices in Taplow (Buckinghamshire), Leeds, and Hereford.
Free Initial Consultation
We provide an honest initial view of your project — what is achievable, the best consenting route, and likely timescales — at no charge.
Full-Service Consultancy
We manage the entire planning process: application preparation, specialist coordination, authority engagement, and conditions discharge.
Key Planning Constraints in Windsor
These designations and policy issues shape what can be built in Windsor. Identifying them early is the single most effective way to avoid delay, invalid applications and refusal.
Heritage and the setting of Windsor Castle
Central Windsor and Eton have conservation areas and many listed buildings, and larger proposals must consider the setting of the castle and Great Park.
Thames flood risk
Datchet, Old Windsor, Wraysbury and parts of Windsor lie in Flood Zones 2 and 3, and were badly affected in 2014.
Metropolitan Green Belt
Almost all land outside the built-up areas is Green Belt.
Thames Basin Heaths and Windsor Forest
New homes around Ascot and Sunningdale need Thames Basin Heaths mitigation, and the Windsor Forest and Great Park Special Area of Conservation is also protected.
Infrastructure & Energy Planning in Windsor
Windsor's infrastructure needs, including flood defence, transport, utilities and telecoms, have to fit around exceptional heritage and Thames floodplain constraints, and Heathrow's expansion proposals affect communities to the east. We advise on infrastructure and commercial consenting across the Royal Borough from our nearby Taplow office.
Planning in Windsor: FAQs
Is the Royal Borough preparing a new Local Plan?
Yes. RBWM consulted on the scope of a new Local Plan to 2045, together with a call for sites, between 30 July and 13 September 2026. The Council says it will have to plan for significantly more housing. Until the new plan is adopted, the Borough Local Plan (2022) and made neighbourhood plans continue to apply.
Do I need a Sequential Test to extend my house in Datchet or Wraysbury?
Usually not. National policy exempts minor development, including householder extensions, from the flood risk Sequential Test, but a site-specific flood risk assessment is still needed in Flood Zones 2 and 3. New homes in those zones generally do need a Sequential Test.
Do new homes in Ascot and Sunningdale need Thames Basin Heaths mitigation?
Yes, where they are within 5km of the Thames Basin Heaths Special Protection Area. Each net new home must secure SANG and make a SAMM contribution, and new homes within 400m of the heaths are generally not permitted.
Which council deals with planning applications in Windsor?
Planning applications in Windsor are determined by the local planning authority for the site — Royal Borough of Windsor & Maidenhead (RBWM).
What are the main planning constraints in Windsor?
Key constraints in Windsor include Heritage and the setting of Windsor Castle; Thames flood risk; Metropolitan Green Belt; Thames Basin Heaths and Windsor Forest. We identify which apply to your site at the outset so they can be addressed in the application rather than discovered during determination.
Do you advise on infrastructure and energy projects in Windsor?
Windsor's infrastructure needs, including flood defence, transport, utilities and telecoms, have to fit around exceptional heritage and Thames floodplain constraints, and Heathrow's expansion proposals affect communities to the east. We advise on infrastructure and commercial consenting across the Royal Borough from our nearby Taplow office.
Other Areas We Cover in the South East
Need a Planning Consultant in Windsor?
Book a free initial consultation — we will give you a clear view of your options and the best route forward.