Preferred housing plan for Pangbourne refused
Proposals for 35 houses and access off Pangbourne Hill turned down
WEST Berkshire Council has turned down plans to build more than 30 homes on one of its preferred sites for development in Pangbourne.
A hybrid planning application submitted by Pangbourne Beaver Properties Ltd sought outline permission for 35 homes, 40 per cent of which would be affordable, and public amenity space to the north of Pangbourne Hill.
A full application for access to the site was also included.
The site, which lies outside the village settlement boundary in an area of outstanding natural beauty, was one of two identified in the council’s development plan document (DPD) as preferred sites for development in the village.
The document said it has the potential for around 35 properties in a low-density development.
The developers argued that only 78 new properties have been built or granted planning permission in the village between 2006 and 2013, with only four of them designated as affordable housing.
Residents lodged 170 letters of objection to the proposal, citing that the overdevelopment on an unsustainable greenfield site would be contrary to policy.
There were also concerns that the developers were trying to circumvent the council’s housing allocation process prematurely, along with fears over road safety.
Highways officers raised no objections in principle, however, saying that the level of traffic expected to be generated from the development was almost negligible in comparison to current traffic levels.
In refusing the application the council said that while the site was identified as a preferred option in the development plan document, granting planning permission would be premature and undermine its planning process.
It added that under the circumstances, granting planning permission could predetermine the scale and location of housing within the North Wessex Downs area of outstanding natural beauty.
A decision on final sites listed in the DPD is not expected until October this year.
