Cold Ash plans would have 'an adverse suburbanising impact'
Plans for an access road connecting five new homes planned for St Gabriel’s Farm near Thatcham have been refused.
The council said it would have an adverse suburbanising impact on the setting and appearance of the agricultural buildings within the wider countryside setting.
The application proposed the provision of residential amenity space and parking and turning areas on a site where there is no authorised residential use.
The application is proposing the infilling of slurry ponds, creation of an access, demolition of a barn and creation of residential gardens and a paddock.
The council said the proposal fails to demonstrate that there will not be harm to protected small mammals, greater crested newts and other reptiles and their habitats.
It also said it fails to demonstrate adequate biodiversity enhancements.
The decision will be welcomed by locals who had objected to the scheme, which had twice before been refused.
“Building in the green space between Thatcham and Cold Ash should not be permitted," wrote Geoff Blaber. "Keeping this area free of development is vital so as to maintain the green belt between town and village.”
Locals feared the extra 19 parking places proposed would imply around 50 vehicle movements per day including post and delivery vans, repairmen, visitors, window cleaners.
“This is a major increase from the zero vehicle movements experienced at present,” said Chris Sayer.
“Access will be via an agricultural trackway put into the landscape in 2017. Nobody has modelled the impact of this volume of traffic on the immediate road network, especially where the trackway joins Cold Ash Hill.”
The objectors claim the development would be outside the settlement boundary and would run the risk of then leading to further applications in a "most attractive, visible and currently farmed rural location".
“The application proposes re-classifying some land from agricultural to residential which we are strongly against on this site again for environmental reasons and because it is outside the Cold Ash settlement boundary,” wrote John Cleator.
