Controversial Pangbourne housing site to be debated tonight (Wednesday)

'Preferred' site recommended for approval

A CONTROVERSIAL housing plan for Pangbourne has been recommended for approval.

Pangbourne Beaver Properties wants to build 35 homes along with pedestrian and vehicle access off Pangbourne Hill, which lies in an Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty (AONB).

West Berkshire Council planners have recommended that the plans be approved; but the strength of opposition from residents will see the plans debated by members of the eastern area planning committee next week.

Seventy-three letters of objection have been filed against the plans, citing traffic safety; the impact on local services; increased flood risk and impact on the AONB.

The site was announced in West Berkshire Council’s housing sites allocation development plan document (DPD) in 2014.

The council refused an application for the site in April 2015, saying that granting planning permission would be premature and would undermine its planning process.

But with the council approving the DPD last November, the developer and the council have now said there has been a change of circumstances.

“As a consequence, an objection on grounds of prematurity can no longer be sustained,” council documents state.

When the DPD was approved in November the district councillor for Pangbourne, Pamela Bale (Con), objected to the site being included in the document.

However, she voted to approve the DPD.

Mrs Bale sits on the eastern area planning committee where the application will be determined next week.

The developer had also appealed against the council’s decision to refuse its plans, with a six-day inquiry set to start on April 19.

Pangbourne Beaver said that the latest application provides the council with an opportunity to approve its plans in order to avoid the costs of an appeal.

The application will be determined by West Berkshire councillors at a meeting in the Calcot Centre at 6.30pm tonight (Wednesday).