The fate of a ‘dangerous’ new road in Warfield hangs in the balance after Bracknell Forest councillors refused to give developers permission to build it.

Developers behind a controversial 50-home housing project behind Newhurst Gardens want permission to build a narrower connecting road than the one that was initially approved. They say this is because the original plans would damage protected trees.

But residents have said that the narrower road would “put lives at risk.”

Under the new plans, the road would allow just one car at a time to pass between the trees. Pedestrians would also have to cross back and forth between footpaths to avoid walking on the road.

Council planning officers had recommended that councillors approve the changes at a planning committee meeting on Thursday, June 15. They said “careful consideration has been given” to highway safety and tree protection.

But councillors were unhappy with the level of detail and assurances they’d been given – and voted to defer their ruling until next month.

Campaigner Clive Hobbs appealed to councillors to reject the plans. He said: “There is no other access available, even on a temporary basis for emergency or other vehicles, or pedestrians to enter or exit the site. Do you think this is a suitable and safe idea?”

He added that emergency vehicles would have to mount the pavement to get past any road works.

But Sarah Howell from developers Croudace Homes said the design had been well thought through.

She said: “We have worked very hard in collaboration with both specialist consultants and the local authority’s officers to ensure that the design presented here tonight is as well considered as possible.

“We have gone into great detail through this application process to ensure that the design has been reviewed from planning, arboricultural, highways, safety and geotechnical perspectives.”

READ MORE: Changes to housing plans could ‘risk lives’ in Warfield

But many of the councillors on the committee were not convinced. Councillor Gareth Barnard asked for a noise impact survey to gauge the level of noise there would be as cars accelerate out of a speed hump through the narrowing.

Councillor John Harrison asked whether the Cellweb material that would be used to protect tree roots could withstand the weight of passing traffic, and who would be responsible for maintaining the road.

Officers replied that the committee could amend a condition to the application making developers responsible, but this would require reviewing the original planning approval. The officers also said councillors should have asked them to prepare that information before the meeting.

Councillor Barnard said the decision would have to be deferred until they had full answers to their questions, and had visited the site. Five councillors voted in favour of deferring, with two against.