In the late 1980s the face of Cippenham completely changed when the Windsor Meadows housing estate was constructed. It was known as 'Pong City' due to its proximity to the sewage works. There were objections to its construction from the Ministry of Agriculture declaring the site was Green Belt and high quality farming land, and local residents who wanted to preserve the old established community even called upon the support of Prince Charles. However the Dept of the Environment had the final word and sanctioned the land for building houses. The existing land value was £1,000 per acre, but the need for new homes was urgent and eventually sold at £35,000 per acre.