Development behind hotel prompts fears
Amended plan for 13 homes behind Three Swans Hotel angers William Court residents
FEARS have been expressed over amendments to developers' plans for new homes on land behind the Three Swans Hotel, Hungerford.
In June Western Land Plc was granted permission for comprehensive redevelopment of land to the rear of Three Swans Hotel, involving the construction of 13 residential units including 10 apartments and three houses, parking, landscaping, access from Park Street and associated works.
This was despite objections from Hungerford Town Council.
Now a new application has been submitted to West Berkshire planners. It is the same as the above application which was granted in June except that conservation area consent is now being sought for the demolition of a section of wall separating Williams Court and land to the rear of the hotel.
Agents for the developers, Gerald Eve LLP, state: “This proposal is very similar to the application which was granted...the principal amendment is that vehicular access to the site is now proposed from Park Street, through Williams Court, rather than through Station Road car park.
“As this is a change to the access and the site boundary has been amended, a new planning application is required.”
Eric and Yvette Read, of Williams Court, have registered a formal objection, stating: “Only one-way access will be possible. This will generate all manner of vehicle and pedestrian movement problems. Any encroachment into Williams Court property would be unacceptable... unencumbered access to residents and visitors must be maintained at all times.”
Williams Court property owner John Challands registered “strong objection” to the new proposals which, he warned, would generate “health and road safety issues”.
He added: “The end of Park Street already becomes congested....it is narrow and entirely unsuitable for any increase in traffic flow.”
Alexander Mills of Williams Court had no objection to the original application but objected to the amendment on the grounds that it would be “ridiculous to build a new access point...when there are already two existing access points.”
Despite being named on the application, spokesman for Gerald Eve LLP, Gary Brookes, said: “We are no longer dealing with this application. It's Western Lane Plc.”
No spokesman could be contacted for comment at Western Land Plc as the Newbury Weekly News went to press.
