Thatcham Town Council objects to proposed 236 homes in Henwick Park over flooding concerns

Thatcham Town Council has objected to a proposal for 236 homes – including 39 per cent ‘affordable’ – over flooding concerns on land at Henwick Park.

The application, by Croudace Homes, is related to the revised district Local Plan and includes 523 new car parking spaces as well as new pedestrian, cycle and vehicle accesses from Bowling Green Road and Cold Ash Hill.

It includes a mix of four one-bedroom, 13 two-bedroom, 76 three-bedroom and 49 four-plus-bedroom market rate houses, flats and maisonettes, 142 in total.

Another 66 are classed as social, affordable or immediate rent housing, including 18 one-bedroom, 34 two-bedroom, 12 three-bedroom and two four-plus-bedroom homes.

And a further 28 are classed as affordable homes, including three one-bedroom, 19 two-bedroom and six three-bedroom homes.

Planning and highways committee chairman Simon Pike (Lib Dem, Thatcham West) recommended the committee reject the proposal, highlighting its impact on the National Landscape and the increased flooding risk construction work could pose by disturbing the existing flood drainage scheme on site.

He said: “The key issue here is after the examination hearings, the Environment Agency updated its flood risk assessment map, which now shows parts of this site to be Flood Zones 2 and 3, which wasn’t taken into account in the application.

“Ardent, the consultants of the flood drainage scheme on the site, expressed concerns about the access passing between the two flood attenuation basins.

“One of the issues raised is the concern about the construction work releasing water from underground aquifers, which is based on the historic records of flooding on the site, and this is not easily identifiable from the Environment Agency flood risk maps.”

Council leader Tom McCann (Lib Dem, Thatcham Central) added: “My concern is the same as yours. The underwater aquifers release needs to be thoroughly investigated by whoever the responsible people need to be.

“And we should actually ask the Environment Agency for their opinion on the possibilities whether such a development could adversely affect their works.”

Mr Pike confirmed he has requested a more detailed site-specific investigation.

He added: “[The policy relating to housing on this site] doesn’t give any lower limits on housing numbers.

“So, if matters come to light which justify a reduction of that number, that would not be contrary to the Local Plan.”

The committee voted unanimously to object the proposal on the basis of the issues raised.

Cold Ash Parish Council also wrote on West Berkshire Council’s planning portal requesting that the current application be denied or delayed “pending the submission of a revised, compliant Flood Risk Assessment and Sequential Test”.

WBC previously rejected an outline planning application by Croudace for up to 265 homes on the site in 2015. Croudace appealed this decision.

The current application will be decided on Friday, June 13.

WBC will meet on Tuesday, June 10, to consider the Planning Inspector’s recommendations and decide whether to formally adopt the plan.