ANGRY residents are protesting about plans to build 50 new flats in Crowthorne.

Developer McCarthy and Stone wants permission to knock down three Edwardian houses from 48-52 Dukes Ride and build a home for the elderly in their place.

Earlier this month a second application for the development was submitted to Bracknell Forest Borough Council’s planning department.

The original application, for 60 flats, was rejected by council planning chiefs but the developers have appealed against that decision.

More than 400 objections were sent to Bracknell Forest Borough Council about the first application and residents are already voicing their objections about the re-submitted plans.

The appeal will be heard in April next year, but McCarthy and Stone has told the News that should their second application be successful it will drop its appeal.

Residents feel that the development would contribute to a loss of green space in the village, create excessive demand on services, increase traffic and threaten wildlife in the area.

Some feel that the flats are poorly designed and would be out of keeping with the surrounding area. One complaint is that the buildings would be too large and too high to adjust well with its surroundings.

Mike McLoughlin lives in Thornbury Close, and the development would be yards away from his house.

“It is just too big for the land it will be on. I think it works out as 85 units per hectare but the council advises you should only have between 30 and 50 per hectare,” he said.

“If it was given the go-ahead it would dominate not only my back garden but the gardens of several of my neighbours.

“They (McCarthy and Stone) have altered it slightly with the second application, taking it back by a few feet and making it two storeys instead of three in that area, but it would still be overbearing.

“The car park they plan to build would also cause noise and light pollution, as it would have 24-hour lighting and the volume of traffic the complex would create would be too much for the roads around here.”

Mr McLoughlin believes that the traffic survey the developers had done is not valid as it was compiled in August, when there was no school traffic on the roads.

“The traffic report, done in August, is not at all representative of the traffic on the roads around the area,” he said.

“We are also objecting to the design of the building. It will not fit in with the area at all. It looks more like a hospital or an institution and they have tried to design it so it looks smaller than it actually is.”

Ken Peck lives in The Avenue, close to where the development will be built if it is given the go-ahead, and has also objected to Bracknell Forest Borough Council about the plans.
He said: “It seems it is open season for getting rid of the gardens and homes around here to replace them with flats.

“The village is changing. Those buildings are part of the street scene and the character of the area.

“The developers hope that this constant raining of appeals and applications will wear down the local authorities.”

Mr Peck also raised concerns about the safety of elderly pedestrians in the area should the plans be approved.

Paul Davies, a spokesman for McCarthy and Stone, told the News that the developers have taken the views of residents on board with the second application.

“Our original application, for 60 flats, is currently at appeal and we hope to hear about that in April,” he said.

“Meanwhile, we have redrawn the scheme, taking into account the comments from local people and the planning officers, for 50 flats.

“If the second one is passed then the appeal on the original application will be dropped.
“We consider this to be a good quality, contemporary design and it is a building of its time.

“It is designed for elderly people and it is probably the only one of its kind in the
area.

“As most of the residents will come from the local community we have the opportunity to free up 50 of family homes in the area for the housing market.

“We are very pleased with the plans and we hope that the council’s planning committee will be too.”