Bracknell Forest Council has approved plans for housing provider Abri to build affordable energy efficient homes on one of its old and mostly unused garage sites.
Abri can now go ahead with demolishing the 63 garages to make way for seven new and sustainable two-storey homes and one bungalow in Shepherds Lane, Bracknell.
Paul Quinn, Abri’s Regeneration Project Director, said: “It’s fantastic that Bracknell Forest Council has approved Abri’s affordable housing plans for Shepherds Lane.
“The existing garages are largely derelict and the focus of fly-tipping and anti-social behaviour. We look forward to turning this poor quality site into eight brand new modern homes for local families, each with its own private garden and parking, alongside some additional parking space for existing users.
“More widely, this redevelopment forms part of Abri’s commitment to deliver 10,000 homes by 2030. This will include regenerating sites to provide affordable housing for local communities.”
Alongside this recent approval of Shepherds Lane (16th Jan 2025), Bracknell Forest Council also agreed last year to residential redevelopment of another Abri garage site in the area. Planning permission was granted in June 2024 for Abri to redevelop its site of 98 garages at Merryhill Road, Bracknell into eleven new and affordable homes.
Abri aims to start demolition work at Shepherds Lane and Merryhill Road in 2026 with new homes expected to be ready on both sites in 2027.
The majority of garage owners across both sites have either sold or are going through the process to sell them back to Abri, or been offered alternative garage sites across Bracknell.