A 30-year agreement to allow Bracknell Town FC to play in Sandhurst has been defended by the town council after residents raised parking and traffic fears.

SB Group – which owns Bracknell Town and Sandhurst Town football clubs – announced in August it had agreed a 30 year lease with Sandhurst Town Council to use the stadium at Bottom Meadow.

It came after Bracknell Town FC left its former ground in Larges Lane, Bracknell, at first on an apparently temporary basis in 2021. But Sandhurst residents have said the increase in the number of games played at the ground have caused traffic, parking and noise problems in the town.

One central Sandhurst resident who lives near the ground and didn’t want to be named said: “I don’t have an issue with football, but the parking issues are ridiculous.

“I’ve contacted the town council to say that there have been cars parked with four wheels on the pavement, and people double parked so that trying to drive down the road is challenging.

“There’s an older people’s care home nearby, and ambulances are quite often needed there – but an ambulance wouldn’t have been able to get down.”

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The resident also complained that the Town Council had not run a consultation with residents before agreeing the lease. And they raised concerns that elements of the agreement had been kept confidential in town council committee agendas and minutes.

They said: “There has been no consultation with Sandhurst residents whatsoever. The concerns are that this lease agreement has been done behind closed doors.”

But Sandhurst Town Council said the number of supporters allowed inside the ground wouldn’t be changed – and that it was working to address any new parking problems.

It said: “Despite the addition of supporters from Bracknell Town FC, the number of supporters allowed in the ground remains unchanged from the previous lease.

“However, recognising the increased parking demands, we are actively collaborating with all involved parties to manage and resolve these issues efficiently and effectively and will continue to do so.”

The council also said it is normal for contracts to be negotiated confidentially. It said: “The lease agreement was confidentially negotiated and agreed upon, as per legal norms. This standard and lawful practice ensures the protection and fairness of negotiations for all parties involved. This is the same for all leases agreed by the council.

“The decision to approve the lease was made by the Council’s Strategy & Policy (S&P) Committee, as is standard practice for all Council leases.”