New plans show Coopers Hill set for regeneration project

According to a planning application submitted by Bracknell Forest Council and developers Countryside, 52 new homes will be built at the site of Coopers Hill Community Centre on Crowthorne Road.

The new homes will go up following the complete demolition of the site and will be joined by new access points, car parking, landscaping and other works.

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Homes at the site will be designed to appeal to ‘younger, first-time buyers, to families, empty-nesters and the elderly’, with a quarter of the homes set to be made affordable.

A dozen of the homes will be two-bedroom flats, six will be three-bedroom flats, 22 will be two-bedroom houses and another dozen will be three-bedroom houses.

Coopers Hill Community Centre is set to be demolished to make way for new homes

One of the key focuses for developers is to create an ‘attractive, green setting where car parking does not dominate the street-scene’ with most trees set to be retained and several new trees planted.

A new public footpath will be added to the west of the site for future use, too.

A statement from the applicants read: “[This proposed development provides] a choice of residential unit types within easy walkable reach of the town centre.

Coopers Hill Community Centre is set to be demolished to make way for new homes

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“A mix of flats and houses will appeal to those wanting access to the amenities and attractions of the town centre without wanting to commit to the full urban living apartment lifestyle.

“Coopers Hill will be an exemplar for sustainable housing delivery, combining the best of suburban development (quiet streets, private outdoor space) with the best of urban development (walkable proximity to amenities, transport links, leisure and cultural attractions).”

The redevelopment of Coopers Hill marks the first step of the next phase of the town’s regeneration following the building of the new Lexicon shopping centre.

Jubilee Gardens and Market Place will be developed in later phases of the regeneration scheme, leading to around 400 new homes being built at the three sites altogether.

A public consultation on the plans for Coopers Hill was held in December 2020 which asked current users of the site community centre and other groups for their thoughts on the plans.

Coopers Hill Community Centre is set to be demolished to make way for new homes

READ MORE: Campaigners call to save Coopers Hill community centre

It is expected that many of these groups will move their activities to Time Square -- the council’s offices -- once the redevelopment project gets underway.

The Coopers Hill application is currently pending consideration from Bracknell Forest Council.

For full details of the plan, enter reference number 21/00233/FUL at planapp.bracknell-forest.gov.uk.