More homes put forward for Greenham

Racecourse developers apply for 71 properties opposite former Greenacre site

GREENHAM’S green gap could shrink even further as plans for 71 homes in the parish have been submitted.

David Wilson Homes has applied to build the properties opposite the former Greenacre leisure centre in Greenham Road.

Twenty-eight of the homes (40 per cent) will be affordable and 189 car parking spaces have been proposed, with access coming off Greenham Road.

The site, located in a pocket of grassland north of Water Lane and south of Ascot Close and just over a mile from the 1,500 homes being built at Newbury Racecourse, was allocated in West Berkshire Council’s development plan document as a preferred site for development of approximately 65 homes.

The developer says that proposals to develop fragmented sites to create “a vision for south east Newbury” were first put to the council in 2009, with the plans the latest step in the vision.

And with the council’s housing targets being scrutinised in a series of recent appeals, the application states that “the council now relies on the site to be developed within the next five years in order to maintain an adequate housing land supply”.

The application follows councillors approving plans submitted by Rivar for 157 homes to the east of Newbury Retail Park between Equine Way and Greenham Road.

A speed survey carried out on behalf of the developer said that the 30mph limit on Greenham Road was being exceeded, with drivers clocking up an average of 39mph.

However, the report said that speed was likely to decrease once the homes were built as driver perception of the area would change.

n View the plans by searching for 17/00223/FULEXT into West Berkshire Council’s planning website.