Purpose

To approve the Bracknell Town Centre
Masterplans Supplementary Planning Document (SPD) for use as a
material consideration in the determination of planning
applications, following public consultation.

Decision

 
i.      
the
adoption of the Bracknell Town Centre Masterplans SPD is
agreed.

 
ii.    
authority be
delegated to the Executive Director: Place in consultation with the
Cabinet Member for Planning, Transport and Countryside to agree any
necessary minor amendments to the Bracknell Town Centre Masterplans
SPD prior to adoption.

Reasons for the decision

1.    
The BFLP contains site-specific strategic policies
that allocate the Eastern Gateway (Policy LP 9) and Southern
Gateway (Policy LP10) sites for comprehensive welldesigned
mixed-use development.

 
2.    
The sites are Council-owned, sustainably located and
form key gateways into the town centre, and their development will
make an important contribution to the town centre’s continued
regeneration.
 
3.    
The Council has committed to ensuring that
development is plan-led and achieves a high standard of design that
positively contributes to placemaking. Policy LP28 –
‘Design principles’ in the emerging Local Plan states
that for larger, complex, and more sensitive developments to be
delivered in a structured and coherent way, a masterplan and design
code would be required to be produced and agreed with the Council
to establish an overall vision and strategy for a development as a
whole. The policy specifically requires these of the Eastern
Gateway and Southern Gateway sites. Further to this, both policies
LP9 and LP10 make specific reference to a forthcoming
‘Bracknell Town Centre Masterplans’ SPD. This SPD
provides the framework Masterplan element, with a finer-grained
Masterplan and design code required as part of subsequent planning
applications for these sites.
 
4.    
The High Street Car Park has recently been closed
and, for structural reasons, can no longer function as a car park;
the site will therefore require redevelopment. This site is not
specifically allocated in Local Plan policy but falls within the
town centre area on the Local Plan Policies Map. Guidance for this
site is included in the SPD given its proximity and significance as
a natural continuation of the Southern Gateway development. It also
provides an opportunity for a key connection between the town
centre to the east, and Market Street and Peel Centre to the
west.
 
5.    
Given that the new Local Plan has recently been
adopted, and now forms a part of the Council’s development
plan, it is important for the masterplans to be progressed ready
for the submission of planning applications on these
sites.
 
6.    
A draft SPD was approved for consultation by
Executive on 19 March 2024. A 6- week public consultation on the
draft SPD was undertaken to allow the Council to gather feedback
more widely from anyone who lives in, works in, or visits the
borough, and statutory consultees. Feedback has been used to refine
and develop the final plan. The SPD will allow the comprehensive
masterplanning of the site through the planning application
process.
 
7.    
The preparation of the SPD contributes towards the
Council Plan (2023-2027) priority for a ‘Thriving and
connected economy’ to ensure that ‘Bracknell town
centre continues to thrive and be a destination of choice’.
This is to be measured by increasing visits and the development of
new homes within the town centre.

Alternative options considered

1.    
Adoption of the SPD could be delayed; however this
would result in a lack of
guidance
to support emerging Local Plan policies LP9 and LP10, and to guide
the beneficial redevelopment of the High Street Car Park site.
Given that a masterplan is required to be agreed with the Council
prior to the submission of any planning applications for the
gateway sites (Policy LP28), delay to SPD adoption would also have
knock-on delays for the development of these strategically
important sites.
 
2.    
The Council could opt not to take a lead on the
production of masterplans for these sites, and instead leave this
for future developers to undertake. This approach would put the
Council in a weaker, more reactive position to control development
on these sites.

 
3.    
The absence of an adopted up to date SPD would make
the Development
Management
process more difficult to implement if planning applications are
received, potentially leading to uncoordinated, piecemeal
development. This is a particular concern for these strategically
important sites that are key components of the continued
regeneration of Bracknell town centre. Production of the SPD will
assist potential developers