Bracknell, 39 houses set to be decided in Winkfield

At the Planning Committee meeting on Thursday, 11 June at 6.30pm, councillors will decide on whether to approve dozens of homes at the end of a narrow lane called Mushroom Castle.

The scheme follows an outline permission already granted in 2024 for housing on the site, and officers are recommending approval of the detailed plans subject to conditions.

The application deals only with appearance, landscaping, layout and scale, not the principle of development itself.

The complete site is 1.98 hectares and lies within the settlement area, where it is has been allocated for about 40 dwellings in the Bracknell Forest Local Plan.

The proposal includes a mix of one to five bedroom homes, along with 14 affordable homes, parking, amenity space and areas of open space. Access would be from Gardeners Road, with no vehicle or pedestrian access from Mushroom Castle.

Carnation Hall in Winkfield Row. The 39 houses would be build on green space to the rear. (Image: Google Streetview)

More than 30 nearby properties objected, raising concerns about loss of open space, trees, wildlife, drainage, traffic, parking and the impact on local character.

Officers say the scheme responds to those issues by retaining the most important trees and hedgerows, providing open space buffers, and relying on technical assessments that have satisfied the council’s highways, drainage and biodiversity officers.

The design is described as appropriate to the area, with the tallest buildings placed on lower ground to reduce their visual impact.

Officers will consider the layout, house types and materials acceptable, and say the development will not cause unacceptable overlooking or loss of privacy to neighbouring homes.

The scheme also meets affordable housing requirements and remains tied into wider obligations secured through the outline permission, including biodiversity, drainage, open space and Thames Basin Heaths mitigation.

Officers have recommend that the committee approves the application, subject to conditions covering matters such as boundary treatment, cycle parking, parking layout, visibility splays, visitor parking, window restrictions and drainage works.