One of Bracknell’s most recognisable landmarks could be transformed forever if new plans are approved.
Bracknell Ski Slope has laid dormant since March 2020 when it closed together with the adjacent 2,400 seat ice skating arena due to the covid lockdown.
The leisuresport complex never re-opened when managers decided a viable financial plan could not be found, leading to the loss of 67 jobs.
Ice hockey club Bracknell Bees were based there for 33 years, and nearly 12,000 people signed a petition for the complex to stay open.
But now developers hope the large 5,250 square metres site could be created into a mega solar farm.
Sprint Energy has submitted plans to Bracknell Forest Council which are due to be decided shortly.
Here’s everything we know so far about the proposals:
The owner of Bracknell’s Ski Slope in Binfield has applied to install a solar farm with 1424 photo voltaic panels on it.
How big would the solar farm be?
It would house 1,424 photo voltaic panels on it if plans go ahead. The total site area is 5,250 square metres – which is not as big as it seems – equivilient to three-quarters of a football pitch, but some of that will be used to plant trees.
What is the history of the site?
The Ski Slope and Skating rink next door were built by John Nike between 1985 and 1987 and were the place where a generation of Bracknell residents learned to ski and skate.
What happened to the site and why did it close?
Although loved by many, in its later years it sometimes attracted criticism. In in December 2019, the winter before it closed, one wrote on Trip Advisor:
“Every year we return and every year the ski hill gets more worn out with less area covered in snow mats.
“Only the button lift working today which is another shortcoming. So sad to see such a great complex looking so sad.”
History of the site
John Nike got planning permission to build the Leisuresport complex which became home to the Bracknell Bees Ice Hockey team in 1979 having bought 60 acres of land in 1969.
Before the John Nike Centre, bricks were made at the same site in Binfield from the 1800s all the way up until the 1950s at the Binfield Brick and Tile Company.
The Binfield Brick and Tile Company had its own railway siding in Amen corner.
A few hundred metres to the west, between Coppid Beech Lane and the railway, the 1898 map shows an ‘Old Windmill’ – the mill is believed to have been demolished before 1938.
What happens next?
Now a total of 1424 panels could be installed on Binfield’s former iconic leisure facility.
The plan could potentially save 144.4 tonnes of Carbon Dioxide each year.
The decision will be made by Bracknell Forest Borough Council after consultations with local parish councils.
The council’s Environmental Health department had no objection, saying the plan would have no adverse impact on noise, air quality, contamination or lighting in Binfield.
Binfield parish has considered the application and raised no objections. In fact, at their planning committee on Tuesday, March 24 cllr Hilary Doyle, chairing the meeting, called it ‘exciting’.
The underlying geology of the site is Bagshot Formation-Sand which supports water soaking into it, but the council recommends that the panels be installed along contours with lots of drainage.
We can look up the application and track its process on the Bracknell Forest planning portal by searching for the application number is: PA/2026/0157
