August workshop update
The Wellington Estate and 3West would like to thank all those who joined our Bramley Meadows workshops on 7 August and to those who have shared feedback online, by post, email or phone. Over 260 people attended the workshops, and throughout the consultation period we received 380 feedback forms.
This page provides a summary of the feedback received during our first round of consultation, which ran from 3 July until 31 August 2025.
Your input is incredibly valuable in helping us to understand what matters most to Bramley residents. If you would like to get in touch, please contact the project team on the details below:
- Email: info@bramley-meadows.co.uk
- Freephone number: 0808 143 4781
What you’ve said so far
INFRASTRUCTURE AND AMENITIES
The strongest message we’ve heard is that local infrastructure is already under pressure. Many residents feel that services such as roads, utilities, and healthcare are at or beyond capacity, and improvements are essential if any new homes are to be supported.
Key priorities raised include:
- Utilities – water, drainage and sewerage upgrades are the top concern. Residents shared experiences of flooding and sewer issues, and urged us to work with Thames Water to secure promised improvements.
- Roads and highways – there are widespread concerns that Bramley’s current road network cannot cope with additional traffic. Suggestions included a direct link to the A33, better junctions, traffic calming on country lanes, and safer connections for pedestrians.
- Health and schools – many feel that local health services and schools are already stretched and would need extra investment.
- Railway crossing – the level crossing was repeatedly mentioned as a bottleneck causing queues, pollution and safety concerns. Ideas such as a footbridge were suggested.
- Local facilities – residents would like to see more everyday amenities, such as a small supermarket or convenience store, plus community and sports facilities to support village life.
- Green space – there is a strong wish to protect green areas, add tree planting, and integrate open spaces into any development.
THAMES WATER RESPONSE
Concerns around drainage, sewerage and flooding have been some of the most consistent themes in the feedback.
- Thames Water has confirmed that they are committed to delivering the necessary upgrades to support Bramley Meadows. They have outlined a clear process, including detailed modelling, design, and construction of improvements. These works would be carried out at Thames Water’s cost to ensure the local network can serve the new homes.
- You can read the full Thames Water response here
- For a more detailed overview, you can read the Phoenix summary note on Thames Water discussions here.
Top priorities for infrastructure and amenities (in order of preference):
Read resident’s comments here
INFRASTRUCTURE AND AMENITIES
The strongest message we’ve heard is that local infrastructure is already under pressure. Many residents feel that services such as roads, utilities, and healthcare are at or beyond capacity, and improvements are essential if any new homes are to be supported.
Key priorities raised include:
- Utilities – water, drainage and sewerage upgrades are the top concern. Residents shared experiences of flooding and sewer issues, and urged us to work with Thames Water to secure promised improvements.
- Roads and highways – there are widespread concerns that Bramley’s current road network cannot cope with additional traffic. Suggestions included a direct link to the A33, better junctions, traffic calming on country lanes, and safer connections for pedestrians.
- Health and schools – many feel that local health services and schools are already stretched and would need extra investment.
- Railway crossing – the level crossing was repeatedly mentioned as a bottleneck causing queues, pollution and safety concerns. Ideas such as a footbridge were suggested.
- Local facilities – residents would like to see more everyday amenities, such as a small supermarket or convenience store, plus community and sports facilities to support village life.
- Green space – there is a strong wish to protect green areas, add tree planting, and integrate open spaces into any development.
THAMES WATER RESPONSE
Concerns around drainage, sewerage and flooding have been some of the most consistent themes in the feedback.
- Thames Water has confirmed that they are committed to delivering the necessary upgrades to support Bramley Meadows. They have outlined a clear process, including detailed modelling, design, and construction of improvements. These works would be carried out at Thames Water’s cost to ensure the local network can serve the new homes.
- You can read the full Thames Water response here
- For a more detailed overview, you can read the Phoenix summary note on Thames Water discussions here.
Top priorities for infrastructure and amenities (in order of preference):
CHARACTER AND DESIGN
Residents want new homes that reflect the look and feel of the village rather than modern, uniform estates. The feedback shows a preference for:
- Traditional materials such as red brick, tiled roofs, timber details, and decorative brickwork.
- Varied designs that give the neighbourhood character, rather than identical rows of houses.
- Low-density layouts with front gardens, hedgerows and curved streets that feel rural rather than suburban.
- Natural colours that blend with the landscape.
- Plenty of green space, footpaths and countryside connections to maintain the village feel.
The least popular options were light render finishes, flat designs, and grey-toned housing styles often seen in new estates.
HOMES
While many residents oppose large-scale development, there was strong feedback about what types of homes are most needed locally if any new housing does go ahead.
The top requests were for:
- A mix of family homes with gardens and parking.
- Eco-friendly homes designed with sustainability and energy-efficiency in mind.
- Smaller homes and bungalows for people downsizing or retiring.
- Affordable homes for first-time buyers and young families.
Residents stressed that “affordable” should mean genuinely affordable to local people, not just affordable in name. There were also concerns that higher-density housing could make Bramley feel cramped and urbanised.
Top requested housing types (in order of preference):
OVERALL SENTIMENT
From the feedback received, most residents have told us they are not supportive of the proposals in their current form.
- Over 80% of respondents said they do not support the plans.
- The main reasons include fears of overdevelopment, loss of rural character, lack of infrastructure, and not enough detail in the proposals yet.
- A small number of residents expressed support, recognising the need for new homes in Basingstoke and Deane and seeing opportunities for well-designed, sustainable housing with the right infrastructure in place.
Some of the suggestions we’ve heard for increasing support include:
- Sharing more detailed proposals earlier.
- Ensuring infrastructure is delivered before or alongside new homes.
- Protecting green space and integrating biodiversity measures.
- Designing homes that genuinely reflect local needs and the character of Bramley.
Overall sentiment towards the proposals (in order of preference):
Ongoing community engagement
On 6 October, The Wellington Estate and 3West Group met with parish council representatives of Bramley, Stratfield Saye and Sherfield-on-Loddon to discuss the proposals in more detail. Lord Mornington and the founder of 3West were also in attendance to meet councillors and answer questions. The meeting was extremely valuable for us as we continue to evolve the vision and we would like to express our thanks to those who attended.
Further engagement has also taken place with other stakeholders as detailed in the information boards for the community drop-in event.
Next steps
Since the end of the consultation period on 31 August, the project team has been carrying out an in-depth review of all feedback to what updates to the proposals are required.
To present the updated proposals, we will be holding drop-in events for the community at Clift Meadow on 4, 5 and 6 November 2025. These will give residents another opportunity to speak to the project team, ask questions and review updated information. Invitations were issued at the beginning/middle of October.
If you would like to get in touch with the project team, our contact details are below:
- Email: info@bramley-meadows.co.uk
- Freephone number: 0808 143 4781
If you would like to share your views, you can still:
- Complete the online feedback form
- Or request a paper feedback form.
