A WASTE and recycling centre...
is set to be transformed into a site for dozens of new homes after council bosses gave ambitious plans the go-ahead.
The Shorts Waste Transfer and Recycling Centre site on St Georges Lane in Ascot will be converted into a space for 131 cottages, apartments and houses following planning permission from the Royal Borough’s planning team.
IN FULL: Everything you need to know about developer's plans to build 131 homes in Ascot
Nearly 30 units will be affordable homes with a tenure mix of 80 per cent affordable rent and 20 per cent shared ownership.
Located on the border of Bracknell Forest, the recycling centre currently sits in the green belt — open space protected by local and national planning rules.
This was a concern for Robin Wood, a councillor on Sunninghill and Ascot Parish Council, who urged the Royal Borough’s planning team to refuse the proposals at a development meeting earlier this week.
The councillor cited fears about the size of the development compared to the current use of the site and its effect on the green belt, its proposed density being “out of keeping” with neighbouring housing, and alterations to St Georges Lane not being sufficient to carry out dozens of extra vehicle movements.
He said: “While the parish council remains totally in favour of redevelopment, the proposal as currently proposed is not acceptable in its current form. Therefore we propose rejection.”
READ MORE: 131-homes plan considered by Bracknell Forest Council
Royal Borough councillors David Hilton and Neil Knowles also shared concerns about accessibility onto St Georges Lane during the planning meeting.
However, Karen Charles, a planning agent representing the developers, hit back at suggestions the proposal should be refused.
She told councillors 91 per cent of people supported plans to redevelop the site at a public exhibition in 2016, and only five local objections were recorded to the submitted designs.
The development board also heard about the benefits of the scheme, which Ms Charles claimed included more affordable housing, less disturbance from the waste centre, and improvements to St Georges Lane.
READ MORE: 81 homes plan for Ascot with no affordable housing rejected
She added: “The application has been through an extensive and rigorous process with your officers, who are satisfied that the application confidently meets the green belt test and has addressed all other potential impacts.”
After a short discussion, councillors unanimously agreed to approve the outline planning application, meaning more detailed proposals related to the site are still to come.
The meeting took place on Wednesday, December 16.
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