Newbury and Cold Ash housing scheme - new plans

Coley Farm developers put in detail plans

A DETAILED scheme for 75 homes north of Newbury has been submitted.

Donnington New Homes has lodged a full planning application for the homes, access, parking and a children’s play space at Coley Farm, to the north of Waller Drive, in Cold Ash parish.

The full application follows an outline application for the site being approved under tight circumstances in 2017, despite objections from residents.

Councillors went against their planning officers’ advice and rejected the plans over safety issues, owing to the increase in traffic, concerns over flooding and the impact on the landscape.

But because the decision went against officers’ recommendation and planning policy, with the land listed as a ‘preferred development site’, councillors had to debate the scheme again at a higher level.

Councillors on the district planning committee approved the plans by one vote.

The housing mix for the new application is proposed as 45 market housing and 30 affordable (40 per cent) integrated across the development.

Donnington New Homes has said that most homes will be two- storey in height with the flats designed at two-and-a-half storeys.

The developer says that the scheme will improve safety along Stoney Lane, where access will stem from, and include widening as necessary.

“Speed-limiting features are proposed within the highway to control the speed of vehicles travelling both north and south bound, thereby enhancing highway safety for all users,” planning documents state.

A total of 182 car parking spaces are proposed, with cycle provision catered for through garages, sheds and communal stores.

Traffic modelling predicts that there are likely to be a total of 34 vehicle movements at the morning peak and 33 in the evening.

The site lies to the north of public open space, which the developer said was well used, but “limited in quality and amenity with no identifiable features of interest or use to the local community”.

It adds that the area would be significantly improved through boundary planting, a play area and footpath and cycle improvements linking the development with Stoney Lane.

The site is assessed as being at low risk of flooding and lies in flood zone 1 for fluvial flooding.

Two surface water drainage basins are proposed in the full application, which will replace a larger basin approved in the outline scheme.

Setting out its case, the developer said: “The layout has been designed to provide a distinctive and unique character that will create a sense of ownership and community for future residents.

“Offsite highway works will serve to reduce speeds of traffic travelling along Stoney Lane in the vicinity of the site.

“These improvements will increase highway safety for existing and future residents.

“The on-site SUDS, open space and landscaping, in combination with significant improvements to the existing public space south of the site, will significantly enhance the quality and availability of green infrastructure in this part of the district for existing and future residents.

“The proposal represents a high quality, well designed and sustainable development.”

Donnington New Homes said it wants to achieve a minimum of a 10 per cent improvement in emissions over building regulations and council requirements for a more sustainable development.

To view the application, enter 20/00604/FULEXT into West Berkshire Council’s planning website.