A Crowthorne campaigner has said he is “disappointed” that previously failed proposals for a 226 home development have been resubmitted to Bracknell Forest Council after minor changes.

Southern Homes Development has long wanted to get planning permission for a new housing estate just off Nine Mile Ride, to the north east of Crowthorne. But the scheme was rejected by councillors in July 2022 – and again by a government inspector in July this year.

The inspector agreed with councillors’ decision that plans for parking could block up roads. Now designers say they’ve made small adjustments after speaking with council planning officers – and are ready to try again.

But Andy Holley of the Crowthorne Village Action Group said he is “disappointed to see that they’re persevering with repeating the application.”

Southern Homes appealed to the government’s planning inspectorate after the council’s planning committee rejected its application last year.

But the inspector, Rachel Pipkin, ruled that the number of parking spaces didn’t meet the council’s rules – and that the shortfall was outweighed by the benefits of building the development.

Concerns were also raised about the layout of some of parking spaces for some of the houses. These included “triple tandem” parking arrangements, where three cars would have to park one in front of the other rather than side by side, potentially blocking each other in.

Now developers have said they’ve changed the plans to fix these issues. Changes include reducing the number of bedrooms in some houses from four to three – meaning they need fewer parking spaces – and increasing the number of spaces at a new neighbourhood park.

Developers say they discussed the new plans with planning officers in September before submitting their new application.

And Bracknell Forest Council’s draft local plan – which sets out where homes could be built over the next 15 years – features space for 226 homes at that site.

READ MORE: Crowthorne residents celebrate victory over housing plans

But Mr Holley says Southern Homes shouldn’t have re-applied until after the Local Plan has been approved. The council is currently running a public consultation on changes it had to make to the Local Plan, which is set to end on Tuesday, December 12.

Mr Holley said: “We are disappointed to see that they’re persevering with repeating the application without waiting for the modifications for the Local Plan to be discussed and approved.”

But the council says the consultation is only on changes to the Local Plan  – including scrapping a major development at Jealott’s Hill – and not on other parts such as Beaufort Park.

Speaking in October, councillor Guy Gillbe – responsible for planning – said: “This consultation specifically relates to the main modifications recommended by the independent planning inspectors.

“It’s important to note that it is not an opportunity to raise matters that either were, or could have been, part of the earlier representations or hearings on the submitted plan.”