UNPOPULAR plans for almost 200 homes in Warfield could still go ahead despite being refused by Bracknell Forest chiefs last year.
Inspectors based in Bristol will now decide on a proposal for 197 homes at Home Farm on Forest Road after Home Farm Land Ltd. appealed the refusal.
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This means a public inquiry will be held to help the Planning Inspectorate come to a decision, set to take place on Tuesday, March 24.
Residents can send comments with their thoughts to the Inspectorate by clicking here, but must do so before Tuesday, February 25.
The controversial proposal, which received more than 60 objections from neighbours, was refused because Bracknell Forest Council (BFC) planning chiefs said it would harm the countryside as the site was outside a settlement boundary.
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One neighbour commented earlier this year: “When we moved here we could see cows grazing in fields from our bedroom window and the new town was projected to accommodate 25,000 people.
“Now we are at least 1.5 miles from the country. In 2016 the town population was 83000.
“This application sticks out like a sore thumb and is solely designed to line some individuals' pockets rather than consider the impact on the environment.”
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Other reasons for refusal included poor access to services for new homeowners, harm to Home Farm as a listed building and more pressure on highways and community facilities.
Despite this, applicants believe the “provision of 138 market houses and a further 59 affordable houses, are of such weight as to clearly outweigh any harm caused by the proposed development and yet there are still many other benefits to be taken into account.”
Proposals for the building of the nearly-200 homes included 59 affordable houses.
Most of the houses would have been three-bedroom homes, with up to 462 people expected to move in if the plans are approved.
The settlement would have been supported by the creation of a new roundabout on Forest Road.
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