Controversial plan for 226 homes approved

Proposals by Southern Home Ownership for 226 homes were previously rejected by Bracknell Forest Council

Controversial plans to build 226 homes in Berkshire have been approved.

The proposals for Beaufort Park, in Crowthorne, were previously rejected by Bracknell Forest Council in 2022 and last year the planning inspectorate rejected an appeal, citing a "poor" road layout.

But developer Southern Home Ownership decided to try again.

Chair of the planning committee, councillor Tricia Brown, said the "proposal was carried" after she made the casting vote to break a tie.

Site plan from Southern Home Ownership of 226 homes

The planning committee had previously raised concerns about the loss of woodland, parking and traffic congestion.

A spokesperson on behalf of the developer said the road layout had been redesigned, the amount of parking had increased to 21 spaces and they were committed to replanting trees.

Ms Brown said the houses were "much-needed" and that is why she voted in favour of the proposals going ahead.

She also said she thought they would lose an appeal.

But Liberal Democrat councillor Tina Eberle said she could not support the plan as the number of homes built would reduce the gap between the town and the village of Crowthorne to a “sliver of its original size”.

She also raised concerns about the loss of trees.

Ms Eberle continued: “Unless we start to act, we will be a Bracknell without forest very soon.”

Green Party councillor Sheila Collings suggested “scrapping the local plan and beginning again” as this would allow “more speculative planning applications to be submitted”.

But Labour councillor Guy Gillbe said having a plan "allows us to guard against unwanted development schemes on unallocated sites.”

He added that it would help councillors in “preserving our green spaces whilst also offering opportunities for more of our community to have a home in the borough they love.”