Award-winning housebuilder Weston Homes has marked a key milestone at the £110.1m (GDV) Bracknell Beeches development, providing 349 new homes, with the first of the seven buildings on the scheme now reaching the top floor, and a ‘Topping Out’ event held on site to celebrate.

Bracknell Beeches marks the first BTR agreement between Weston Homes and Royal London Asset Management Property, with Royal London acquiring the site and scheme from Weston Homes, and Weston Partnerships appointed to construct and deliver the project.

Once completed, Bracknell Beeches will deliver 349 one to three-bedroom apartments located within seven new buildings, ranging from four to 16 storeys in height, alongside communal outdoor areas, providing dynamic and modern architecture set in landscaped grounds, located adjacent to Bracknell train station.

Attending the Topping Out ceremony were the Leader of Bracknell Forest Council, Councillor Mary Temperton, and the Mayor of Bracknell Forest, Councillor Janet Cochrane. Alongside them were senior directors from Weston Group including Bob Weston, Chairman, Peter Gore, CEO, and Suzanne Aplin, Group Sales & Marketing Director, in addition to colleagues from Weston Homes including Abbie Simpson, Head of Land, David Girling, Head of Partnerships, Darren Smith, Regional Construction Director, Amir Heraty, Project Manager, Damian Colfer, Project Manager, Jonathan Fulcher, Technical Manager and Ben Dewey, Senior Surveyor.

Also in attendance were members of ProperTies Living, residential property management platform launched by Royal London Asset Management Property that manages the Private Rented Sector (PRS) aspect of the development, including Tim Holden, Director (Operations), Charlie Miller, Director of Transactions, and Kate Thomson, Head of Development Delivery. Richard Davies, Partner, and Harry Hogan, Assistant Surveyor, from property consultancy Gardiner & Theobald, also joined the event in their capacity as advisors to the project.

Located on Old Bracknell Lane, Bracknell Beeches is just a five-minute walk from the town centre and less than 100 metres from Bracknell train station, providing direct connections to London Waterloo in just over an hour. This strategic location seamlessly blends urban living with access to serene open countryside, providing tenants with the best of both worlds.

All the elegant BTR apartments at Bracknell Beeches will feature modern, open-plan living areas, with the majority opening onto balconies or terraces. Finished to the highest specification, the apartments include contemporary kitchens by Oakwood Kitchens with quartz stone worktops and splashbacks, integrated appliances and instant boiling and cold filtered water tap. The luxurious bathrooms feature Arctic white suites and walk-in Fascino smart showers or bathtubs. Every home is equipped with superfast full-fibre broadband.

All the homes will be served by their own dedicated Air Source Heat Pumps for hot water and on-site PV panels will provide energy regeneration to communal areas. There are also electric vehicle charging points to external uncovered car parking bays.

The on-site amenities at Bracknell Beeches are designed to enhance the living experience and are set to include a concierge, gymnasium, communal lounge/business suite, and gardens for tenants.
Bracknell Beeches was constructed using the trailblazing UNisystem technology, a next generation panellised modern method of construction pioneered by British Offsite, part of Weston Group. British Offsite is leading the delivery of housing and other buildings using MMC through UNisystem, providing 2-D panellised light-gauge steel-framing solutions which are produced in their Essex factory on one of the largest automated assembly lines in Europe.

At the topping out ceremony, guests had a site tour and were able to enjoy refreshments served from the Weston Group’s bespoke 1950s-style ‘Airstream’ retro mobile coffee and ice cream trailer-van. Weston Group uses the chrome coffee and ice cream trailer-van to provide refreshment at corporate functions and charity events.

Cllr Mary Temperton, Leader of Bracknell Forest Council, says: “It was a pleasure to attend the Topping Out ceremony at Bracknell Beeches, which will provide high quality new housing for rent, with easy access to the town centre and local station. With its landscaped areas and eco-friendly construction methods the project chimes in perfectly with the council’s ambitions for the area. Tenants here will benefit not only from an elegant new home, but from exciting new improvements being actioned in the new town centre masterplan, with heritage and culture initiatives, better roads, paths and bike lanes, as well as aiming for the very best educational facilities and employment opportunities.”

Mark Evans, Head of Property and Commercial Development at Royal London Asset Management, says: “Once complete, the Bracknell Beeches development will provide much needed rental homes to the area. The project reflects our commitment to quality, sustainability and long-term investment in the communities we serve, and aligns with our broader strategy to grow our residential portfolio. We look forward to seeing this fantastic development come to life and contribute to the growth of Bracknell’s local community.”