Changes have been made to a plan for dozens of flats and homes at the old football ground near Bracknell town centre.
Bracknell Town FC vacated its Larges Lane football ground in 2021 after nearly 90 years there, moving games to Bottom Meadow football ground in Sandhurst.
The decision to move was made by The SB Group, the owning company of the football club, with the hope that the sale of the Larges Lane site with planning approval will fund the group’s education activities.
While the club retains a presence nearby, for years the plan has been to build homes on the old ground.
An initial plan for three apartment blocks was submitted in 2021 and approved in the following year, but the plan has since changed, with The SB Group applying to build a mix of flats and homes earlier this year.
READ MORE: Fresh plan for Bracknell Town Football Club ground as owners make changes
Now, changes have been made to that scheme following feedback from council planning officers.
It originally proposed 24 grasscrete parking spaces, which blends concrete appropriate for vehicles and grass.
However, council planning officers determined that the grasscrete was unacceptable, therefore the grasscrete element has been removed.
The developers are also proposing to build a pergola with planting to cover the bin store for one of the apartment blocks in the development.
Council officers also commented that the layout of the proposed terraced homes to the east of the site would be too uniform, with little in the way of landscaping, spacing and variety of house types.
However, this element of the plan has not been adjusted, with planning agents for The SB Group arguing the uniformity is ‘by design’ and is consistent with other developments in the surrounding area.
A planning agent stated: “The proposed house types offer a range of distinctive elevational treatments, creating interesting street scenes while maintaining a cohesive and unified architectural style.
“These variations incorporate various architectural features such as gables, brickwork, projections and setbacks on the facade, and a combination of materials.
“This creates a visually stimulating environment with a consistent character and shared architectural language.”
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The previous plan, which was approved in May, 2022 would have seen 117 apartments being built contained within three buildings.
The new plan would see a total of 88 homes being provided, with 64 flats contained within two apartment buildings, and 24 houses made up of four three-home terraces and three four-home terraces.
The plan was submitted by Kayne Steinborn-Busse, the chairman of Bracknell Town FC, and the founder of The SB Group.
You can view it by typing reference 23/00031/OUT into the council’s planning portal.
The SB Group is made up of The SB Sport and Education Group, which has a focus on providing academic and sports courses to students, and Whittington Land & New Homes, which has been involved in building homes in Larges Lane and the conversion of The Chapel in Winkfield Row.
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