Residents of Crowthorne are celebrating after a government inspector refused developers’ appeal to build 221 homes on Beaufort Park. But campaigners warn that developers could still come back with fresh plans.

Developers Southern Home Ownership wanted the government’s planning inspectorate to overturn Bracknell Forest Council’s decision to refuse the project planning permission.

The council’s planning committee rejected the plans in July last year, arguing that the developers’ plans for traffic could cause congestion and block up roads – particularly on narrow roads.

Representatives of Southern argued at an appeal hearing in June that its plans provided enough space for parking.

But planning inspector Rachel Pipkin ruled that the “poor layout” of roads, and an “under-provision” of spaces for the country park would cause “significant harm” to road safety.

READ MORE: Residents and developers clash over Beaufort Park plan

Andy Holley of the Crowthorne Village Action Group said he was “overjoyed that the inspector has refused the appeal.”

But he warned that campaigners and residents could face a new battle in the future as the council still wants to build 221 homes at Beaufort Park as part of its draft Local Plan. This is its plan for where homes could be built throughout the borough over the next 15 years.

Mr Holley said: “We’re calling on Bracknell Forest council to drop Beaufort Park on the emerging local plan.

“It’s been recommended for refusal by both Crowthorne Parish Council and Bracknell Town Council. It’s been refused by Bracknell Forest Council’s planning committee. And now the inspectorate has upheld that refusal.

“We can’t see any reason why Bracknell Forest Council should include that in their Local Plan.”

READ MORE: Bracknell Forest residents could soon get say on troubled Local Plan

Yet councillor Guy Gillbe, responsible for planning and transport, said the council would stick to plans to build 221 homes at Beaufort Park. He said that the inspector had only rejected the layout of the plans – not the idea that homes could be built there at all.

And he said that government inspectors had already reviewed the council’s draft Local Plan, including the plans for Beaufort Park.

He said: “The Beaufort Park site has been included in the draft Local Plan following a thorough assessment of all alternative sites, and has been examined by planning inspectors.

“The principle of development at this site was considered at the local plan examination and the inspectors accepted its inclusion in the plan, subject to modifications.

“The planning application appeal decision is one that focuses on a detailed scheme and did not challenge the principle of development but considered the detailed layout matters which were the reasons provided for refusal.

“There is no intention to seek to remove this site from the draft Local Plan, which provides housing land for the next 15 years to meet the borough’s housing needs.”