A troubled and controversial 15-year plan for hundreds of new homes across Bracknell Forest could soon be put to residents.

Councillor Guy Gillbe – Bracknell Forest’s executive member for housing – is expected to tell a full council meeting that a consultation on the plan could launch after the summer holidays.

The vote is on the council’s draft Local Plan, which has drawn outrage from residents over proposals for major housing developments in villages north of Bracknell.

If the consultation goes ahead, it will be the latest in a long-running saga that has seen previous versions of the plan thwarted by government inspectors and the council’s own planning committee.

The Local Plan sets out where new homes, businesses and facilities could be built over the next 15 years.

The initial plan, published by the then Conservative-run council in 2021, hoped to build some 3,700 new homes in Bracknell Forest by 2037.

It earmarked Jeallott’s Hill, The Peel Centre, Beaufort Park, and Derby Park in Crowthorne as sites for some major developments.

But after examining the plan, the government’s planning inspectorate said the location of many of the sites was “unjustified.” It called for the council to remove a number of these from its plan, including the 2,000-home ‘garden village’ at Jealott’s Hill.

Other modifications included scrapping smaller planned developments at Pope’s Meadow in Binfield and Lower Church Road in Sandhurst. These sites accounted for about 50 homes between them.

READ MORE: Residents and developers clash over Beaufort Park plan

Meanwhile, the future of a 226-home development at Beaufort Park is in doubt after the council’s own planning committee refused to grant it planning permission last year.

The government’s planning inspector is still set to rule on whether to overturn the decision after developers Southern Home Ownership appealed.

In a new statement published on Bracknell Forest Council’s website, councillor Gillbe says the amended plan has now once again been sent to the government’s planning inspectorate.

Councillor Moira Gaw is set to ask for an update on the status of Local Plan at a full council meeting on Wednesday, July 12, in a question also published on the council’s website.

In his response, councillor Gillbe said he expects inspectors to give their verdict on the plan over the summer. He added that inspectors could recommend that the council makes further changes, or put the plan out to consultation.

“It is anticipated that due to the Inspectors’ workloads and holidays that they will come back to the council over the summer period. It is likely that consultations on the modifications will take place following the summer holiday period.”