A decision is due on a plan to convert a grand house set amongst parkland in Bracknell into flats.
Lily Hill House began as a hunting lodge on former Windsor Forest land, with the first house built around 1817 by Henry Dormer Vincent, a nobleman.
The house was substantially changed by his son Henry William Vincent in the 1840s and 1850s into a Victorian gentleman’s residence set amongst the parkland.
In 1955, it was purchased by the Bracknell Development Corporation, and eventually ended up in possession of Bracknell Forest Council in 1983.
It has subsequently changed hands since then, and was converted into offices, with the Lily Hill Court offices also being built on the site in the 1990s.
Now the owning company of the two buildings, Lily Hill Park Ltd, wants to convert both of them into housing, creating a total of 33 flats.
Lily Hill House would be converted to provide 20 apartments, made up of 12 one-bed or studio flats, six two-bed apartments and two three-bed apartments.
Meanwhile, Lily Hill Court would be converted into 13 apartments, made up of three one-bed and 10 two-bed apartments.
However, the conversion project has been met with scepticism by some neighbours, who have raised concerns about the potential for crashes at the site.
One resident wrote: “My concern is for the increase in traffic at the junction of Lily Hill Road and the access road for the Park car park and Lily Hill house site, and the potential need for traffic calming measures.
“Several years ago, I contacted my councillor as I had witnessed, on several occasions, near accidents involving cars turning right out of the access and into the path of speeding traffic coming up the hill from the Running Horse roundabout.
“At the time, the 30 mph illuminating warning sign was inactive and following my representation a new one was installed.
“Cars exiting the site have a very limited view of approaching traffic from the left as the road curves to the left and drops away down the hill.
“The 30mph limit is routinely ignored on this stretch of road and drivers approaching the junction up the hill from the west cannot see exiting cars until they are almost at the junction with Waldron Hill.”
The man then requested that a pedestrian crossing be created to calm traffic.
The council’s highways department raised no objections to the project.
The conversion project will be decided by Bracknell Forest Council’s planning committee, as 34 public comments have been made.
There was also a concern that future occupants could be disturbed by the activities of the Bracknell Lawns Tennis Club, which plays at Lily Hill Park.
However, a noise impact assessment submitted by the applicants was judged satisfactory by council planning officer Simon Roskilly.
The project is due to be decided at the planning committee meeting on Thursday, January 15.
You can view the application by typing reference 25/00727/PAE into the council’s planning portal.
