Decision due on Tory donor's hotel extension

Councillors will decide on whether or not a five-star hotel can remain in place in Surrey.

An extension to the Fairmont Windsor Park Hotel was built without permission and will be considered by Runnymede Borough Council's planning committee on Wednesday.

The Egham hotel's owner, Arora Group, is offering to tear down a derelict mansion on the nearby Parkwood Estate to compensate for the space taken up by the extension.

Council documents show changes to the hotel layout have created an additional 30,870 sq ft (2,868 sqm) of floor space.

Arora Group is owned by businessman and Conservative Party donor Surinder Arora.

The 249-bed, 5* hotel is to the east of Windsor Great Park and in the green belt.

An officers' report said objectors claim the application should be heard at the same time as one for unauthorised tree house lodges built on the site.

But the report said there was no requirement under planning law to consider the retention of the hotel and the tree houses to be under one application and the council had no powers to "make the applicant combine all unauthorised development into one application".

An Arora Group spokesperson previously said it wanted to resolve the situation "while maintaining operations at the world class hotel we have built and which provides employment and wider economic benefits to the area".

The meeting takes place on Wednesday, with officers recommending approval of the plans, subject to completion of a legal agreement.

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