Approval for Burghfield affordable housing

Plans to provide affordable housing in Burghfield have been approved.

Sovereign housing association’s application to build 26 properties – consisting of eight one-bedroom flats, 12 two-bedroom houses and six three-bedroom houses – on land at Hunters Hill, was approved by West Berkshire planning officers last week.

The applicant said that the scheme would significantly improve and enhance the street scene of the brownfield site, which lies within the village settlement boundary, while making an important contribution to West Berkshire’s housing quota.

Sovereign added that it would retain and manage the properties as affordable homes. Each one-bedroom flat will have one allocated parking space and each house will have two off-street parking spaces.

As the site is brownfield and had been used as housing, council officers said they could not ask for developers’ contributions and, as the development provides affordable housing, Sovereign has applied to be relieved of paying community infrastructure levy payments, which replaced Section 106 contributions on April 1.

Burghfield Parish Council raised no objections to the plans.