Council land could be sold to developers for more than £400,000 to allow for the completion of a new housing estate.

Bracknell Forest Council’s Cabinet will consider next week whether to dispose of land at South Road.

The new development will sit opposite the Easthampstead Park Cemetery and Crematorium, which the council recently voted to expand onto the next-door Downshire Golf Complex.

Land at South Road, owned by the council, would be used as part of the already approved Beaufort Park development of 226 homes.

The proposal was first rejected by Bracknell Forest Council and later at appeal in 2022 due to poor road layout – but a reapplication saw fresh plans approved.

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An executive report says that the ‘small’ area of council land would allow access to 66 of the homes via South Road, which ‘should provide less congestion’.

It is not designated as a public open space, but is used by residents for dog walking, the report said.

Planning approval was given in March subject to a second entrance and exit being created on the site. Once built, it will close the gap between Bracknell and Crowthorne.

The cabinet member for economic development and regeneration Paul Bidwell said not selling the land would produce a ‘significant delay’ for the project and would incur ‘unnecessary costs’.

The executive report said: “Delay would reduce the number of affordable houses if the new layout was forced to use only one entrance.”

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Plans for the second entrance would require trees to be cut down. Bracknell Forest Council’s head of natural estates has confirmed that no trees in this location have a preservation order.

Independent valuation experts have advised on the price of the land, which is in excess of £400,000.

The commercial sensitivity of the agreement means that the final figure cannot be published - but council officers have confirmed that it ‘represents value for money for residents’.

The executive report states that the land is ‘not related to the Crematorium site’ which sits opposite.

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Residents were invited to make representations on the plans from September 4 to October 2, but none were received.

Councillor Bidwell has asked colleagues in the cabinet to support the sale, and a vote will take place at a meeting on Tuesday, December 10.

The cabinet member has urged colleagues to support the selling of the land in order to deliver the 50 per cent affordable homes set out in the scheme.