Concerns that children and families could end up living in planned new one-bed flats in a former office block have been raised by councillors.

Development firm BMR Edgeware wants to build 26 flats on top of former block building One The Braccans on London Road – having already got permission to convert the rest of the building.

Members of Bracknell Forest Council’s planning committee agreed they had to allow the extension to go ahead at a meeting on Thursday, June 13. But one councillor raised concerns that children in the new flats wouldn’t have easy access to somewhere to play outdoors.

Councillor Gareth Barnard noted that councillors had seen children living in a similar conversion next door, Two The Braccans, when they visited the site. He told the committee: “With the existing block there and with the new flats here, we did see a number of children around there.

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“I’m concerned about amenity space. I notice that given its conversion from commercial to housing, do we know where the nearest play area and other things are that can be safely accessed from that site?”

He added: “We don’t necessarily like seeing families and young children in one bed flats but it’s a reality of living.”

Council officers noted that there is a playground at nearby Deepfield Road. But they said they couldn’t force developers to include outdoor amenity space at One The Braccans as they might have been able to with other developments.

That’s because the conversion and extension have ‘permitted development rights’ meaning they already have ‘prior approval’ for planning permission.

Under this aspect of planning law, the council only gets a say over some aspects of the development such as its impact on neighbours.

Neighbours in Two The Braccans worried that the new block of flats might overshadow or overlook their own homes. In a letter of objection, one resident told the council: “The extension to the roof will block the sunlight coming into my flat.”

They argued that developers had ‘neglected to recognise our building  and how dark our properties directly next door will become and how much the construction noise will affect daily life.'

But council planning officer Olivia Jones said plans were designed to avoid overshadowing and overlooking. She told councillors: “The side elevation of the proposal which directly faces onto Two The Braccans would have all its widows restricted to avoid adverse overlooking.

“The separation distance of the remaining windows complies with our design guidelines in terms of separation to residential buildings and as such it is not considered the proposal would result in and adverse loss of privacy to these buildings.”

She also said the development would ‘mirror’ the conversion that has already taken place at Two The Braccans. Councillors on the committee voted unanimously to approve the plans.