A vacant working men’s clubhouse has been saved from plans to demolish and replace it with houses.

Housing developers County Homes wanted to demolish the Winkfield Working Men’s club building on Chavey Down, Winkfield Row, and replace it with three houses.

But Bracknell Forest Council planning officers said they couldn’t allow this as it would mean the loss of a community facility.

Progress Planning consultancy described the building as ‘unsightly’ and ‘unneighbourly located’. It added that the new houses would ‘improve’ the appearance of the site.

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It said the scheme would ‘significantly improve on the architecture on site, in no small part through the removal of the unkempt, unattractive, and vacant clubhouse building and its substantial ‘flank to flank / front to rear’ car-parking area.’

It also argued that, as the working men’s club had a private membership policy, it couldn’t be considered a ‘community asset.’

But council planning officers disagreed. They said allowing the development would break a planning policy designed to ‘protect community and recreational facilities.’

They also said the scale of the development would be ‘cramped’ and out of keeping with the area's character.

Highways officers also said plans didn’t show there would be a safe access for all users, or that there would be enough parking. Planning permission was refused on February 6.