High Street in Crowthorne will become more dangerous if plans to turn offices into flats are approved, a neighbour has warned.

But highways officers say councillors should approve the homes plan despite concerns when discussed this week.

Owners of Manhattan House at 140 High Street in Crowthorne want to convert offices on the second and third floor into six flats. Bracknell Forest Council’s planning committee is set to decide whether to approve the plans on Thursday, April 18.

Neighbours have warned that the plans would cause parking and road safety problems. Thomas Green of nearby King’s Court told planning officers he felt the entrance to Manhattan House’s car park is already ‘dangerous'.


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He said: “The entrance to the car park of the flats is through a busy path in the high street, this in my opinion is dangerous as it's hard to see around the corner to see if a car is coming. Adding another six flats with six cars at least is going to make this more dangerous.”

Some residents of other flats in Manhattan House said they already don’t have enough parking. Jessica Clarke said: “There simply is not any more room in the car park. We don't have visitor’s spaces. And the public park in allocated spaces already.”

Plans allocate six residents’ parking spaces and one visitor’s space for the new flats, which council highways officers say is sufficient. Highways officers objected to original parking plans as some parking spaces would have been too small.

But developers amended their plans and council officers now recommend the plans be approved.