Bracknell Council Plans £2.86 Million Home Buy

Millions of pounds could be spent by the council on acquiring homes for families in Bracknell.

Bracknell Forest Council is planning to spend £2.86 million on purchasing homes for families, a move aimed at addressing the lack of larger affordable housing in the area.

Mary Temperton, leader of the council, emphasised the need for more three and four-bedroom homes, suitable for families of three to five people. The proposed plan includes acquiring four homes with three bedrooms and four homes with four bedrooms for those on the housing register.

Councillor Helen Purnell, cabinet member for housing, stated, “This addresses one of the most pressing challenges facing our borough: the acute shortage of larger affordable homes for families.” She highlighted that many families are left waiting for suitable accommodation, leading to overcrowding and hardship.

The council does not own its housing stock, so the funding would go to a Registered Provider to purchase and manage the properties. Local examples include Abri and Southern Housing. This acquisition policy is expected to gain approval at the council’s cabinet meeting on Tuesday, November 4.

The funding is part of the £5.5 million available in the council’s section 106 affordable housing fund, which collects money from developers when their projects fall short on the required affordable housing provision. Using this fund for acquisitions aims to swiftly increase family-sized affordable housing availability compared to new builds, which take longer to implement.

James Aldridge, Local Democracy Reporter