THE results are in -- hundreds of residents have objected to plans to build 4,000 homes in the Warfield countryside.
Bracknell Forest Council (BFC) planning chiefs called on the public for their views on its updated local plan at the back end of 2019.
READ MORE: Updates as more coronavirus cases confirmed across Bracknell and Wokingham
The plan includes the controversial proposals to build thousands of homes Jealott’s Hill -- meaning 240 hectares of open green space owned by multi-national tech company Syngenta could be developed.
A range of topics related to the development, including impact on the countryside, housing plans, traffic impact and more were considered.
Of the 2,867 comments left by the 363 residents or community groups regarding the Jealott’s Hill proposal, only 28 supported the plans.
This is around one per cent of the total responses.
More than 2820 comments were left opposing the plans.
Patrick Kennedy of the Save Jealott’s Hill Campaign Committee remarked: “We appreciate the hard work of the council planning staff in publishing the draft summaries of the main objections to the plan.
"Our elected Bracknell Forest Councillors should take note of the deep level of upset and objection that there is to their proposal for Jealott’s Hill.”
READ MORE: First case of Coronavirus confirmed in Royal Borough
Members of the public who left comments were concerned about a range of issues.
Many argued developing the site would not justify the exceptional circumstances needed to go ahead with the plans.
One commenter wrote: “Maximising financial return does not provide exceptional circumstances.”
READ MORE: Five stories you may have missed last week
Increased traffic congestion and gridlock on roads going in and out of Bracknell Forest was another major cause for concern.
Another resident added: “New roads for Warfield development are already struggling, suggesting Jealott’s Hill’s situation will be no better.”
Fears about the countryside being spoiled and this area becoming urbanised because of the development.
A local commented: “[The] proposal is completely out of character with surrounding open countryside and village setting.”
BFC is now considering the content of the comments received and is running an informal focused consultation with respondents to check whether the main issues raised in their comments have been acknowledged.
A six-week consultation on the pre-submission version of BFC’s local plan is set to follow, in which planning bosses would seek views on whether the local plan is legally compliant.
Comments: Our rules
We want our comments to be a lively and valuable part of our community - a place where readers can debate and engage with the most important local issues. The ability to comment on our stories is a privilege, not a right, however, and that privilege may be withdrawn if it is abused or misused.
Please report any comments that break our rules.
Read the rules here