Ten green spaces in Sandhurst could get extra protection under a new neighbourhood plan. Residents are being urged to have their say in a six-week consultation open now and closing on Wednesday 1 July.
The plan sets planning policies rather than allocating specific sites. Councillor Dale Birch said the document "represents a lot of hard work and input from residents already" and stressed it is "vital for the future development of Sandhurst in terms of infrastructure, housing and climate change support that everybody reviews the plan and responds to it."
Proposed Local Green Spaces
The draft names ten areas for designation: Snaprails Park, Owlsmoor Park, School Hill, Sandy Lane/Grampian Road, Cheviot Road, Horseshoe Lake and surrounding countryside, Grove Lake and surrounding countryside, Moray Avenue in College Town, the open space at Waterside Lane and Berrybank Copse.
Smaller sites are praised for mature trees and as a green backdrop in built-up streets. Parks at Snaprails and Owlsmoor offer play areas and walks, while Moray Avenue and Waterside Lane give newer estates everyday access to nature.
Horseshoe and Grove lakes
The biggest sites are Horseshoe Lake and Grove Lake on the Blackwater Valley corridor. The study says these areas - including grazed hills and nature reserves - form one of the last stretches of undeveloped riverside countryside in the valley and attract more than 30,000 visitors a year for walking, water sports and birdwatching.
They also act as Suitable Alternative Natural Greenspace, helping to draw pressure away from protected Thames Basin heaths and are recognised by Bracknell Forest Council, the Blackwater Valley Countryside Partnership and wildlife bodies for their ecological importance.
If Bracknell Forest confirms the plan later this year, residents will get the chance to support or reject it in a referendum.
See the blueprint and comment at: www.bracknell-forest.gov.uk/news/2026/05/consultation-sandhurst-neighbourhood-plan
Ted O'Neill, Local Democracy Reporter
