Bracknell News
The latest Bracknell news: planning decisions, council and crime updates, business and community stories, each linked back to its official source.
Top story
Bracknell house prices: £395,413 in July, flats down 3.6%
The borough average fell £5,464 in a year to £395,413, the weakest annual reading since February. Flats dropped 3.6%, while Surrey Heath next door rose 4%.
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Council
Bracknell parking: 10-year contract, decided in private
Cabinet is asked on 22 September to approve a ten-year parking enforcement contract from 2028. The terms sit in a confidential annex.
Sport
Bracknell Muay Thai fighter in London bout on 8 November
A Bracknell Muay Thai fighter meets an opponent from Greece in London on 8 November, and is asking businesses in the town to sponsor the fight.
Jobs
Bracknell Claimant Count at 2,360, Highest Since 2021
August's count reached 2,360, a five-year high. Under-25s drove it: 440 claimants, up 54% in two years, the steepest rise of 19 South East areas.
Schools
Charters School Free Bus Pass Ends for Year 7s From 2027
Bracknell Forest children starting at Charters School in Sunningdale in September 2027 lose the free bus pass if a school is nearer. Current pupils keep theirs.
Planning
Bracknell Planning: Six Objections No Longer Force a Vote
From 31 October, officers decide house extensions in Bracknell Forest however many neighbours object, and councillors lose call-in. What changes and when.
South Hill Park
South Hill Park Parking: £1 an Hour, First 30 Minutes Free
Charges began on 9 September: 30 minutes free, then £1 an hour, £3 up to three hours. Blue Badge holders pay too; a free council car park is five minutes away.
Bracknell Forest Council
Bracknell Forest Chief Executive to Leave for West Surrey
Susan Halliwell leaves at the end of 2026 to run the new West Surrey Council. The Bracknell post pays up to £207,812; a successor will be recruited this autumn.
Bracknell Forest Council
Bracknell Polling Stations: Buckler's Park Gets Its Own
Buckler's Park Community Hub becomes a polling place and Crowthorne East moves to the Morgan Centre. Councillors vote on Wednesday 9 September.
Bracknell Forest Council
Bracknell Forest Council: Labour Rises to 20 of 41 Seats
Two councillors rejoined Labour on 13 July, ending the Independents Group. Committee seats are reallocated at Full Council on 9 September.
Bracknell Forest Council
Bracknell Forest parking: yellow lines on 7 roads
Seven parking schemes cleared their call-in on 4 September, in Binfield, Sandhurst, Crowthorne, North Ascot and Bracknell. The Ambassador scheme was abandoned.
Bracknell Forest Council
Bracknell Forest EV charging: 2,100 street sockets
The council has awarded a 15 year contract for 2,100 charging sockets in residential streets. It owns 52 today, and pays nothing towards the new ones.
Bracknell Forest Council
Bracknell Forest Council budget: £5.16m overspend risk
The council's own first quarter report flags a potential £5.16m overspend, £2.4m of it in children's social care. Scrutiny sees the figures on Thursday.
Schools
Bracknell GCSE results 2026: 68.3% got English and maths
Bracknell Forest's best GCSE year in four: 68.3% passed both English and maths, Attainment 8 47.9. Three schools published figures, four did not.
Housing
Bracknell house prices June 2026: £396,103, flats down 2%
The borough average slipped £945 in a year to £396,103, but terraces and semis rose while flats fell 2%. How Bracknell compares with the rest of Berkshire.
Jobs
Bracknell Under-25 Claimants Up 41%: Steepest in South East
Under-25 claimants in Bracknell Forest rose 41% in two years, the steepest of 19 South East authorities, while the borough's overall rate stayed at 2.7%.
Planning
Bracknell car park demolition: The Ring to shut at night
Councillors approved demolition of the High Street multi-storey on 13 August. The Ring shuts overnight Sunday to Wednesday as two Lexicon footbridges come down.
Health
Bracknell dementia: 543 over-65s not on the register
NHS data puts Bracknell Forest's diagnosis rate at 60.9%, down from 63.9% in March 2025. The council's survey on its next dementia strategy closes 18 September.
Schools
Bracknell A level results 2026: 97.5% pass, 11.7% at A*
Ofqual data puts 97.5% of A level results at Bracknell Forest centres at a pass grade and 11.7% at A*. Edgbarrow, Garth Hill and Brakenhale published their own figures.
Business
Adviza creditors have until 21 August to claim final payout
Administrators of the collapsed Bracknell careers charity intend a first and final dividend; creditors must prove debts to FRP Advisory by 21 August 2026.
Community
Buckler's Forest named Land Trust Site of the Year 2026
The 42-hectare Crowthorne green space on the former Transport Research Laboratory land beat the Land Trust's whole estate to its 2026 Site of the Year award.