A NEIGHBOUR has criticised the "bullying tactics" of a developer following a long-running fight against their plans to replace a former pub next door with five new homes.

Daniel Williams, of Fernbank Road, has hit out at property company Kirkby Homes' proposal to tear down the Gold Cup - which was approved last Thursday at a meeting of Bracknell Forest Council's planning committee.

Punters previously took a stand against former owners, brewers Greene King, after they applied to get rid of the pub and replace it with two three-bedroom houses and two two-bed bungalows back in 2013, but later withdrew their application before Kirkby Homes stepped in with fresh plans for two semi-detached three bedroom houses and a row of three three-bedroom terraced homes. 

Mr Williams said: "As much as a lot of the neighbours felt that there was absolutely no negotiation throughout the whole process whatsoever, we accepted that and moved on and then obviously the current developer took over and they then decided they would make the access route through Gold Cup Lane and they changed the layout overall. 

"Previously the new homes were supposed to be 4.8m away from my rear boundary and then when this new application was decided and they thought they would gain access for the houses through Gold Cup Lane they completely moved them to nearer to my rear garden, which now will be 1.2m away.

"That application was then decided without the access road to Gold Cup Lane and they have just used the previous design but have not moved the houses back - which in my opinion, shows completely lazy architects who couldn't be bothered to move it. 

"It makes no difference to them to move the houses back being in close proximity or whether it is overlooking Gold Cup Lane.

"It's a completely bombastic and obnoxious attitude, as it would make no difference to them to move the houses back to previous distance."

He went on: "I would think they would try and appease everyone as best they could. 

"The whole process was disheartening and they have used bullying tactics and have no integrity at all.

"The fact there will be a loss of light to my summer house at the end of the garden, which we use when family and friends come to stay, the development will be overbearing and overshadowing, could have an adverse effect on my sell on." 

He also criticised the planning committee for approving the application, as he feels they are "decimating" the community in North Ascot, with infrastructure unable to cope. 

Other objections received comment on the area being "saturated with overdevelopment". 

Winkfield Parish Council criticised that parking provision and access are from Fernbank Road and stated that "access should be from Gold Cup Lane". 

David Kirkby of Kirkby Homes claimed that details of Mr Williams' complaints are "factually incorrect" but declined to comment further.