A339 could become a single carriageway

The radical plans were discussed at a hearing into the West Berkshire Council’s core strategy, a housing document which outlines the council’s plans to build 10,500 new homes in the next 14 years. Part of the strategy includes proposals to construct up to 2,000 new dwellings to the south of Newbury on Sandleford Park, the inspiration for Richard Adams’ classic novel Watership Down.
Government-appointed independent inspector Simon Emerson called a hearing into the core strategy as he wanted to know why the council selected Sandleford as its preferred site for housing over other sites in north Newbury and Thatcham.
During the hearing, which started on May 15 and concluded on Tuesday, the council confirmed if Sandleford gets the go ahead then the A339 could be reduced from dual lanes to single lanes to encourage motorists to use the Newbury bypass rather than congested town centre roads.
Other proposed changes for Sandleford, include two access roads onto Monks Lane, junction improvements to Pinchington Lane, Monks Lane/Newtown Road, Monks Lane/Andover Road and the A34/A343 south.
Improvements to Newbury train station, a new bus service from Sandleford to Newbury town centre, and new bus, cycle and pedestrian access in south Newbury will also be considered.
Development control leader at the council, Paul Goddard told the hearing that the council’s plans for the A339 were not a ‘critical’ part of transport mitigation for Sandleford, adding that additional transport measures should be proposed by potential developers.
In response, SayNOtoSandleford campaigner, Peter Norman said: “The council may not feel it’s critical but every resident in south Newbury thinks it’s very critical. Improvements to two roundabouts and new access to Monks Lane is not mitigation.”
It is also proposed that a country park at the south of the Sandleford site if the development gets the go ahead.
Chris Boyle, representing the Sandleford Partnership which owns the land on which the 2000 houses could be built reminbded the hearing that the landowners were promising a 250 acre country park, with management of the facility to be negotiated.
Noel Erskine, bursar at St Gabriel’s School, Newbury, located opposite Sandleford, said he wanted assurances about the country park in the core strategy.
Mr Boyle then claimed that if the inspector threw out the core strategy, there would be a planning free for all in West Berkshire.
But district councillor Tony Vickers (Lib Dem, Northcroft) dismissed this claim, urging the inspector to find the core strategy sound but to remove Sandleford from the document. “I don’t believe the scaremongering about a planning free for all. If the core strategy is found unsound there will be pressures from developers but they can be defeated by the very strong National Planning Policy Framework,” he added.
SayNOtoSandleford campaigner, Mr Norman added: “There is nothing sustainable about planting 2,000 homes out of town at the top of a long and quite steep hill. There is nothing sustainable about building a community that at best is on the other side of town from where the jobs are, at worse many miles from their workplace. There is nothing sustainable about building a community whose nearest shopping centre is an out of town retail park, which by definition was built around the car, and where pedestrian access from Monks Lane is frankly an unpleasant experience. There is nothing sustainable about building a community where all the entertainment facilities lay in the town centre “
The inspector told the hearing he has a number of options available to him: he can find the core strategy sound, sound with modifications, or unsound. Alternatively, he could decide to suspend the process.
Mr Emerson is expected to make a decision in the summer.