Neighbours call for 50 home Warfield plan to be thrown out

Developer Croudace Homes currently has outline permission to build 50 homes on a field north of Newhurst Gardens in Warfield.

Bracknell Forest Council’s planning committee rejected the outline application back in March 2017, but it was allowed on appeal to the planning inspectorate the following year.

Croudace Homes has submitted a follow up application with details of the appearance, landscaping, layout and scale of the development.

But the detailed plan is being opposed by neighbours who’ve argued that it is invalid because it has been submitted too late.

READ MORE: Activists' joy as appeal for 33 homes in Warfield dismissed

Dozens of neighbours have signed a letter, which has been hand-delivered to the council, demanding that the scheme be invalidated as the March 8, 2021, deadline for submitting the detailed plan was not met.

Dennis O’Neal, who lives in Toogood Place, Warfield, said: “This is just ridiculous.

“Nothing has moved forward for a year now.

“We have been pointing out to the council that the access could not be changed and they have, quite frankly, just ignored us. We have now run out of patience.

“These developers had to submit their plans by last March. They were clearly not ready for the date, so their plans have been a joke. They keep submitting new plans and have been playing for time.”

The masterplan for the 50 home development north of Newhurst Gardens in Warfield. Credit: Croudace Homes

Although individual revised applications have not been submitted, a series of revisions have been made to the detailed application, which was validated in March 2021, with Croudace Homes submitted adjustments in February.

Another neighbour, Lucy Hobbs, who lives in Newhurst Gardens, said: “Everything in the system is stacked against local residents.

“Developers shouldn’t be able to drift along like this, kicking the decision down the road when everyone knows this whole situation is not acceptable.”

The campaigners have given the council two weeks from the receipt of the letter to respond to their demands.

If the council’s planning department does not make a decision, the campaigners have said they will  make a formal complaint.

If the council approves the application, the determined campaigners will seek a judicial review, making the case that the detailed application is not legal and should never have been validated.

The site area marked in red for the 50 home development north of Newhurst Gardens in Warfield. Credit: Croudace Homes

Bracknell Forest Council’s planning department has received the letter and is investigating.

Andrew Hunter, the council’s  executive director for place, planning and regeneration, said: “The council is unable to comment on planning applications that are currently being considered by the Local Planning Authority.

“We have received a letter raising a number of procedural points and we will be investigating these.

“We will respond directly to the author of the letter in due course, taking any actions that may be required.”

READ MORE: Complaint about "accident waiting to happen" Warfield homes 

The detailed plan, application 21/00244/REM , can be viewed by typing its reference into the council’s planning site here: https://planapp.bracknell-forest.gov.uk/online-applications/

In approving the outline plan in 2018, Government planning inspector David Reed argued the 50 homes would be beneficial as 25 per cent of the development would be affordable and that it would meet ‘a shortfall’ in the amount of homes being built in Bracknell Forest at the time.

Mr Reed also said that the council could not at that point demonstrate a five year land supply, a planning rule which allows for homes to be built if not enough land in the area is allocated for development.

Croudace Homes has been contacted for comment but has so far failed to respond.