Approval for Blue Mountain golf course development

Plans have been approved for 400 homes, an ‘all through’ school, sports grounds and open space at the Blue Mountain Golf Course in Binfield. Councillors on Bracknell Forest Borough Council’s planning committee passed the plans on Thursday, May 26. Of the homes, 100 will be affordable homes, and the sports facilities include a football ground, previously intended for Bracknell Town FC. However the club has declined to go ahead with the move. Details of what uses the ground could have have not

1980s ruling 'deterring buyers of former council homes'

A council is reconsidering a rule which it says may be preventing residents selling former council homes. South Oxfordshire District Council is asking for comments regarding a ruling brought in in the 1980s with the introduction of Right to Buy, which for around 1,000 houses in the district, prevents anybody who doesn’t already either live or work in the area from buying it. The ruling, s157 of the Housing Act 1985, was intended to prevent former council houses in Areas of Outstanding Natural

Guildford draft local plan goes public

Public consultation for the delayed Guildford draft local plan starts on June 6 and the council is encouraging people to engage. The consultation period runs until July 18. A previous consultation in 2014 attracted 20,000 responses and several changes were made. Now councillors are anxious to get the plan in place which will govern planning applications until 2033. Cllr Paul Spooner, Leader of Guildford Borough Council, said: “We want people to see the revised draft local plan and understand

AAL signs up to run Wokingham leisure

Superbowl operator American Amusements Limited (AAL) has signed a lease to operate leisure facilities in the new Wokingham town centre. AAL which has run the current Superbowl at the Carnival Pool since 2003 will run facilities which will be within the lower floors of the new multi-storey car park on the adjacent site when it is complete next spring. Work on the new building starts on June 6. As well as a 14-lane tenpin bowling alley, the new premises will also continue to offer laser quest,

LSH secures two deals at Slough's Aquasulis

Lambert Smith Hampton has arranged two lettings for Knight Frank Investment Management at Aquasulis in Slough town centre. Amsbra Limited, trading as Build a Bear Workshop, has leased 6,200 sq ft of second floor space and Morgan Sindall Investments has leased the remaining 1,900 sq ft available on the same floor for Slough Urban Renewal, the firm’s joint venture with Slough Borough Council. Build a Bear has relocated from Windsor on a new 10 year lease. Morgan Sindall Investments is a key

Heathrow launches expansion manifesto at Green Park

Heathrow chief executive John Holland-Kaye unveiled his ‘expansion manifesto’ at Green Park on Monday (May 23) to highlight the importance of the airport to the UK. Mr Holland-Kaye teamed up with Thames Valley Property to help get his message to businesses in the region at a breakfast briefing. And he set out his five core pledges the manifesto is built around: • Help Britain’s economy grow stronger, creating up to 180,000 new jobs and 10,000 apprenticeships across the UK. • Let our country

Hermes begins to rescue St Martin's Centre scheme

Developers looking to rescue the expansion of St Martin’s Centre in Caversham have come up with a plan to phase the redevelopment. Ambitious plans to add a restaurant, apartments, more retail, leisure, extra parking and a boutique cinema to the 46-year-old precinct was agreed by Reading Borough Council in March 2015. But the plans were thrown into chaos last September when Waitrose, which was going to expand as part of the development, pulled out. Now Hermes which is currently drawing up new

Residents celebrate as plans for 170 homes are thrown out

Plans for 170 homes in South Oxfordshire were thrown out after a campaign by locals who turned out in force at the council’s planning meeting. Grainger plc had applied to build the homes on land off New Road, East Hagbourne but with more than 100 residents at South Oxfordshire District Council’s planning committee on May 18, councillors voted unanimously to go against their officers’ recommendation and reject the proposals. Residents, who had formed an action group called Mind the Green Gap,

Alexander Devine Children's Hospice Undies Run

A charity close to the heart of the Thames Valley's property scene has organised an Undies Run to help raise funds. The event in aid of the Alexander Devine Children's Hospice Service, will be at 11am on July 2 at Berkshire College of Agriculture and funds raised will help the charity which is building a children's hospice at Maidenhead. Partici-pants in the fun run will be encouraged to wear their undies as outies. The charity states: "There are more than 600 families in Berkshire with a

Councils' ire at Court of Appeal ruling on affordable homes

A joint statement by Reading and West Berkshire councils has expressed both authorities’ ‘extreme disappointment’ at a Court of Appeal decision they say will make affordable homes harder to deliver. Last summer the two councils had succeeded in gaining a judicial review to challenge Government proposals to restrict developer contributions for developments of fewer than ten homes in urban areas, and five homes in rural areas. But an appeal by the Government has now been upheld at the Court of