TWO tiny forests, a new supermarket and even a skate ramp… these are just some of the new features which could be coming to the new residential development set to replace The Peel Centre.

Bracknell Forest Council has outlined plans to build 900 homes at the shopping centre after owners LandSec put the site forward for development.

It’s expected that 600 of these will be built by 2037 with the remaining 300 following in the years after.

Should the 900 homes plan go ahead, several other new features will be added to the mixed-use development.

Here’s what we could see pop up at Skimped Hill site.

READ MORE: 900 homes planned for The Peel Centre in town transformation

A new supermarket and shops

The Morrisons supermarket will be removed from the site in the last phase of the council’s three-step plan to build new homes at The Peel Centre.

Before this, however, a 3,000 metre-squared supermarket will be built at the location of The Point, which is at the south-west of the site, with car parking to the side of the food store.

Bracknell News:

The council’s local plan states that another 500 metres-squared of commercial floorspace,s such as shops, could be added in addition to the supermarket.

New access routes

A new foot or cycleway route connecting the site to the town centre is tipped in the council’s local plan, with improvements to the footways along Market Street providing better accessibility for residents.

READ MORE: Number of homes planned for Jealott's Hill development slashed from 4,000 to 2,000

Another potential pedestrian link to the town centre could be added in the middle of the development.

‘Key junction improvements’ are set for the Western Roundabout and the Running Horse Roundabout.

A service road for the supermarket, retail units and associated customer car parking could also be a possibility, according to the document.

Green and public spaces

It is hoped ‘green infrastructure’ can be added to the site, including a ‘green corridor’ with a play space at the north of the site and amenity areas in the middle of the development.

A skate bowl and ramps were listed as a possibility, too.

READ MORE: The 20 sites in Bracknell Forest where 4,500 homes could be built

An ‘ecological network’ is also proposed, which would include trees, hedgerows, wildflower planting and ‘two tiny forests’.

According to the BBC, tiny forests are small patches of land (typically about the size of a tennis court) packed with several hundred trees, designed to reduce flooding, attract wildlife, reduce dust, improve air quality and cut noise pollution.

Bracknell News:

Parking

Planners are keen that car parking for residents does not dominate the public realm area proposed for the site.

READ MORE: Eight new traveller pitches and other big ideas from Bracknell Forest's local plan

One possibility outlined in the local plan is for residential car parking to locate car parking underground, or within residential buildings at ground level.

Private residential car parks could be raised and located on the roof of car parks to maximise amenity space.

What next?

You can have your say on these proposals over the coming months.

The council is set to approve a consultation on the new draft local plan at a meeting on Tuesday, March 16.

Should this be approved, the consultation will run from Tuesday, March 23 to Tuesday, May 11.

Following an examination from a planning inspector over the summer and winter of this year, and any subsequent changes, it is expected the local plan will be adopted by Spring 2022.