OBJECTIONS have come flooding in against controversial plans to build nearly 200 homes in the countryside amid worries Bracknell Forest is being “suffocated” by housing developments.
Last week, the News revealed previously-refused plans to build 197 dwellings at Home Farm off Forest Road in Warfield, had been revived.
The site is currently home to farm buildings and open fields used for horse grazing
EXPLAINED: How plans for 197 homes in Warfield have changed since being refused last year
Despite Bracknell Forest Council (BFC) planning chiefs throwing out the proposals for several reasons in 2019, developers Home Farm Land Ltd are trying their luck again with altered designs submitted to the authority in October.
The key change from the original proposals is the inclusion of ten more affordable homes, taking the total to 69 from the initially-planned 59.
Last time the plans were considered, 59 objections were sent to BFC from residents unhappy with the proposals.
After little more than a month of the application going live, 52 objections have been lodged against the new designs.
Residents disagree with the plans for a number of reasons.
READ MORE: Why Bracknell Forest Council refused plans for 197 homes in Warfield
One key issue for neighbours is the changing landscape of Warfield, a largely rural area of Bracknell Forest which has been subject to several development plans in recent years.
One Warfield resident commented: “It is a real shame that more green space is going to potentially be taken away from an already overpopulated area.
“It is wonderful to see open space amongst all the new housing developments currently going up.
“Too many houses are going up in the area and our infrastructure is already being tested.”
Another big worry for Warfield residents is the effect this development could have on the roads.
This was spelt out in an objection from another Warfield resident, who said: “This current development will add hugely to the amount of local traffic. The proposed Home Farm development could see another 400 vehicles using Forest Road and exiting the proposed development at a roundabout on the way up Cabbage Hill.”
READ MORE: Plans for 305 homes in Warfield countryside approved
This fear was shared by a Binfield local, who added: “Building here would have an urbanising impact with the traffic between Warfield and Binfield increasing hugely on an already busy road which is also already prone to flooding at the bottom.”
A common worry shared by objectors is the potential impact the development could have on woodlands and wildlife.
Another neighbour wrote: “Further development of green space will inevitably impact biodiversity, which has already suffered from local development.”
Several Bracknell residents also commented on the plans. One summed-up the reasons locals appear anxious about the proposal.
READ MORE: Campaigners submit petition against plans for 4,000 homes in Warfield
They wrote: “Please, preserve the green belt of Bracknell. Our town is already suffocating from the sudden influx of population: noise pollution, exhausts, narrow roads being overcrowded in rush hour time and fuming the neighbourhoods, school capacity is limited, so are our medical practices, animals' habitats are being destroyed.”
Residents have until Friday, December 4 to add any more comments on the application.
Full details can be found by entering planning reference 20/00802/OUT at planapp.bracknell-forest.gov.uk.
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