Housing and care home plans up for decision

Two Newbury planning applications will be decided at the district planning committee meeting tonight (Wednesday)

THE fate of two planning applications which could change the face of Newbury will be decided tonight.

West Berkshire Council's district area planning committee is to make a decision on whether to approve or refuse planning permission for a care home for people with mental disabilities to be built at Monks Lane, and plans to build 54 homes on the former Travis Perkins site in Mill Lane, Newbury.

Planning officers have advised approval for the Priory healthcare £3.5 million 24-hour 24 bed care home, and the application goes in front of the committee with a large level of support from councillors who have backed it all the way.

However the plans for the homes, submitted by David Wilson Homes Limited, have been recommended for refusal.

Despite a significant reduction from a previous application to build 87 homes at the Mill Lane site, which were withdrawn last year by the applicant amid concerns among local residents of the impact of the development on the local road network.

In their report which went before the western area planning committee in April, planning officers said that the strong reasons for rejecting the application make the proposed development “clearly unacceptable”, and it was decided to refer it up to the district committee.

The meeting at the council's Market Street offices in Newbury begins at 6.30pm.