265 homes at 'Henwick Park' set to be refused

'Significant disadvantages' could scupper scheme

PLANS to build up to 265 homes between Thatcham and Cold Ash look likely to be thrown out by West Berkshire councillors.

Croudacre Strategic is seeking to build the homes – along with a sports pitch and pavilion, allotments, community orchard and provision for a GP surgery – to the north of Heath Lane and west of Cold Ash Hill.

Flood defences are also proposed.

The site, dubbed ‘Henwick Park’ by the developer, lies in Cold Ash parish on the boundary of Thatcham’s north and west wards.

Croudace had argued that its scheme would provide economic and social benefits by helping to “maintain the vitality and viability of services and facilities in the village centre”, while the public park and play area will “address the deficiency” in Thatcham.

Residents have lodged 62 letters of objection, saying that the development would worsen traffic and flooding in the area.

The erosion of green space between Thatcham and Cold Ash led to concerns that the two settlements would lose their separate identities.

The development’s impact on local schools and doctors surgeries was also highlighted.

Cold Ash and Thatcham Town councils also objected.

Planners at West Berkshire Council disagreed with Croudace’s vision for the site and are recommending that the application be refused at a meeting next week.

While saying that Henwick Park had a number of advantages to commend it, including 106 affordable homes and a purpose-built doctors surgery, there were a number of “significant disadvantages”.

These include substantial building on a greenfield site outside of the settlement boundary, leading to a harmful impact on the countryside.

This, in turn, would result in “a move towards an actual and perceived coalescence of Cold Ash and Thatcham”.

Planners also said the developers’ flood defence proposals produced a scheme which “apparently meets the minimum technical requirements” of specialist flooding engineers.

A lack of detail of drainage for the site was also disappointing.

The district councillor for Cold Ash, Garth Simpson (Con), asked for the application to be called in to be scrutinised at committee.

Mr Simpson said that Henwick Park was not in the council’s housing plan and that people treasured the gap between Cold Ash and Thatcham.

He added that he wanted to criticise the site in detail once he had reviewed the reasons for rejection.

Councillors will discuss the application at West Berkshire Council’s Market Street offices at 6.30pm tonight (Wednesday).