A fresh plan has been submitted to convert a former school at a rural location in Berkshire into six flats.
The Meadowbrook Montessori Pre-School in Bracknell Road, Warfield served children in the area for years before closing down in 2018.
Now a developer Quentin Trivor Ltd is seeking to convert the school into six flats across two buildings.
The main school, designated Building A, would contain a three-bed flat, and two two-bed and two one-bed flats.
Meanwhile, Building B, which is a single-storey tall, would become one two-bed home.
An earlier plan that surfaced last October was refused by Bracknell Forest Council planning officer Shelley Clark who stated that not enough information had been provided to ensure that there was safe access to the site.
Also, the project was refused out of concern that the proposed flats would not receive adequate light.
An agent from Planning Insight has argued the reasons for refusal have been addressed.
On the issue of access, the agent said the amount of trips would be reduced compared to the prior use of the site as a school, with 12 car parking spaces being provided.
The project to convert the school into flats has been submitted as a prior approval application.
The buildings are classed as offices, meaning that they can be converted into homes through permitted development rights.
However, in this case, Quentin Trivor requires prior approval from the council to determine that the conversion would provide adequate living conditions for future occupants.
Although the preschool is currently sealed off to prevent entry, explorers have been able to visit the site to shoot videos, showing the buildings to be in a dilapidated state, with school equipment being destroyed and the walls being plastered with graffiti.
Four videos of the former school can be found on YouTube.
The second reason for refusing was the concern that future occupants would not receive adequate natural light.
It was difficult to determine whether the light would be adequate as temporary boards have been put up over the windows to prevent further vandalism.
The agent stated that the windows would be replaced on a like-for-like basis, and would not require planning permission, with the exterior of the main building not being ‘materially different’ to what it was like when it was in active use.
You can view the application by typing reference 25/00100/PAE into the council’s planning portal.
The Meadowbrook Montessori preschool moved from the Bracknell Road site in 2018 to Malt Hill, effectively merging with the long-established junior school at that site.
Although the school in Malt Hill closed in 2023, it has since been taken over by a new education provider, according to the landowner.
