A polo club used by Prince William and Prince Harry has come under scrutiny over an environmental issue that has left residents concerned about flooding and pollution.
Since 2013, the Royal County of Berkshire Polo Club (RSBPC) has brought in material equivalent to roughly 100,000 lorry loads of waste soil, totalling an estimated half a million cubic metres.
Music publisher Bryan Morrison purchased the site in 1985, and it has since become one of Britain’s leading polo venues.
The club originally intended to convert land into playing pitches, including a high-goal polo field.
The Royal County of Berkshire Polo Club has come under scrutiny | PAHowever, more than a decade after work began, the project remains unfinished.
Bricks, plastic and other debris have now been mixed into the soil, forming embankments that have risen by several metres.
Locals have long complained about the disruption caused by heavy goods vehicles transporting materials to the site.
Those living nearby told The Times of their worries about both the environmental consequences and the visual impact of the earthworks.
Harry and Meghan previously pictured at the club in 2018
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One resident said: “Many hectares of green belt land have been raised significantly higher than that granted under the planning permission with the increased risks and detriment to flooding, drainage and contamination to other land owners, families and residents.”
The Lead Local Flood Authority used lidar technology to identify a “clear indication” that the alterations had heightened the site’s and adjacent properties’ flood risk.
Joshua Reynolds, the Liberal Democrat MP for Maidenhead, voiced serious concerns about the situation.
He said: “We are extremely concerned by these reports, especially details of potential depositing of half a million cubic metres of waste soil, rising up to four metres above approved levels, and the flood risk this now poses to neighbouring homes and infrastructure.
Locals have complained about the RCBPC bringing in mountains of waste soil
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“This is a direct threat to the safety of the local community.”
In correspondence with Bracknell Forest Council, the MP argued that the club’s remediation proposals “appear unlikely to address the root cause of the breach, namely the unauthorised deposition of waste soil”.
Mr Reynolds also expressed worries that the proposed wetland habitat could itself create flooding problems for neighbouring properties.
The club attributed the incomplete pitches to a high-pressure gas main running through the site and the collapse of its contractor into administration.
The Duke of Sussex pictured playing in 2018
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The unfinished areas remain inaccessible to both polo ponies and members of the public.
Bracknell Forest Council had initially set a January 2027 deadline for removing the deposited material after determining the club had violated its planning permission.
The authority subsequently withdrew this enforcement notice when the club submitted a fresh planning application.
The updated remediation plan replaces the high goal pitch with two practice pitches and wetland creation, but it does not suggest removing the existing material.
The club stated: “RCBPC are committed to completing the works to the land and working closely with the council.”
