A plan to convert an abandoned village school into homes could still go ahead, despite it being rejected over road safety concerns.
A plan to convert the long‑empty Meadowbrook Montessori pre‑school on Bracknell Road in Warfield into six homes could still go ahead, despite being rejected over road‑safety worries.
The site has been closed since 2018; the school moved to Malt Hill in Warfield and was recorded as permanently closed in July 2023 by Ofsted.
The developer wants to turn the main school building (Building A) into five flats — one three‑bed, two two‑beds and two one‑beds — and convert a single‑storey Building B into a two‑bed home, giving six homes in total.
The application was sent to Bracknell Forest Council in February last year, but the council's highways team raised concerns about access, saying vehicles trying to enter the site risk being shunted by oncoming traffic.
There were also questions about the former playing field immediately west of the buildings, which remains in planning terms a playing field. Planning officer Shelley Clark wrote: “The council has expressed concern with how the playing field areas will be maintained and at the impact of how the separation of uses (residential and playing field) will work in reality. The separation of uses would effectively create two planning units.
“The council does not consider that any transport implications with regard to the separation of these uses have been adequately considered.”
The council's planning department refused the application in May last year. The applicant, Quentin Trivor, has appealed to the government planning inspectorate.
In a statement of case, a planning agent for Quentin Trivor argued the playing field is barely used and has no buildings, limiting any independent future use. The agent from Planning Insight wrote: “The redundant playing field has no buildings or structures on it and has only ever been used for ancillary purposes in association with the former preschool. Whilst it does form part of the curtilage of the buildings on the appeal site, with no buildings or structures of its own, the playing field is not capable of being independently used.”
They added: “In this respect, the traffic generated by the redundant playing field outside the appeal site boundary will be exactly the same as currently: minimal access for maintenance, approximately four times per year.”
To help address the access issue, 'in' and 'out' signs have been added to the plans. The appeal was launched in September, with final comments from Mr Trivor and the council submitted in October.
You can view the application under reference 25/00100/PAE on Bracknell Forest Council's planning portal, and the appeal under reference 3371866 on the planning inspectorate website. Although the site is in Warfield, it sits just west of Lambrook School in the neighbouring village of Winkfield Row.
James Aldridge, Local Democracy Reporter
