A neighbour has expressed frustration over ‘never being consulted’ on changes to a home and a hotel in a suburban village north of Bracknell.
The White Gates Hotel is situated along St Mark’s Road in Binfield, opposite Newbold College.
In years past, White Gates was used as offices, until it was converted into a home with three bedrooms and six bed and breakfast rooms following planning approval back in 2006.
Now, a neighbour has claimed that she and fellow neighbours were never consulted on a plan to make substantial extensions to the building to increase living space.
The plan involves adding side and rear extensions to the building, providing an office, an enlarged sitting room and more space on the ground floor, and more space for two of the existing bedrooms and new sitting areas for two of the bedsit rooms.
The plan was verified in 2022 and approved by Bracknell Forest Council’s planning committee in July of that year.
At the time, councillor Colin Dudley (Conservative, Crown Wood) said: “If this application is approved, we should highlight it to officers to make sure that we make a visit to this property to make sure that it is being built as per the approved plans and there are no additional properties.”
Cllr Dorothy Hayes MBE (Conservative, Ascot) agreed, stating that planning officers should monitor construction at the site carefully.
Now, Steph Walker, who lives in neighbouring Woodies Close, has suggested the decision was faulty, claiming that residents were not consulted.
She said: “Residents of Woodies Close, including myself, were not consulted on this application.
“We are extremely concerned about the impact this development will have, particularly on parking.
“Parking in this area is already severely limited, and this proposal will further reduce availability and worsen congestion.”
She then stated that she has contacted her legal representatives to challenge the approval decision.
In an attempt to address parking concerns, the project involves creating a 10th parking space at the front of White Gates.
You can view the approved application for the extensions by typing reference 21/01154/FUL into the council’s planning portal.
Bracknell Forest Council has been contacted to reply to Steph Walker’s claims, and has been asked whether planning officers have made any visits to monitor the development.
A previous plan for extensions to White Gates (20/00529/FUL) was refused with an appeal against the decision dismissed by the government’s planning inspectorate.
Cllr Dudley is no longer a Bracknell Forest councillor. He unsuccessfully stood as a candidate for the new Swinley Forest ward in the 2023 local elections.
Meanwhile, cllr Hayes was elected as a councillor for the Winkfield & Warfield East ward.
