Homes for homeless project scrapped by council

Plans to build temporary affordable housing for homeless people have been scrapped.

The multimillion-pound project, revealed in September 2023, had aimed to build homes for people in need in Bracknell.

Seven homes would have been built at a disused car park on Opladen Way in Crown Wood.

Bracknell Forest Council said the project became "financially unviable" but it has purchased temporary accommodation at different sites across the borough.

Three houses for up to five people each and four flats for up to two people each were proposed at Opladen Way.

They would have been available for individuals and families on temporary homeless licenses for periods between three months to two years.

Funding for the scheme had been secured through the Local Authority Housing Fund from the then Department of Levelling Up, Communities and Housing.

Bracknell Forest Council was awarded £1.26m from the grant, with the council also investing £3.4m, which involved purchasing the homes on the open market.

The site was previously used as an open-air storage compound, with no alternative uses coming forward as it could only be accessed from the petrol station.

Plans for the homes involved a new access being created so future occupants would not have to enter via the petrol station.

Helen Purnell, the council's cabinet member for housing, said: "The Opladen Way project unfortunately become financially unviable, after the estimated costs rose significantly above what was initially agreed."

"The housing service has since secured additional temporary accommodation that meets the needs of both single people and larger families."

Ms Purnell said the council has since provided seven homes for homeless households in the borough and it aims to purchase one more in the next few weeks.

She said terminating the project released funding for other eligible affordable housing schemes.

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