Sandleford West development extra traffic ‘will cause death’ claim, as town council vote again ‘Watership Down’ plans

Plans for 360 homes on the ‘Watership Down’ site have raised more than a hundred objections.

In the iconic Richard Adams’ novel, rabbits flee Sandleford Warren, which is, ironically, about to be destroyed by bulldozers in real life.

Newbury Town Council also unanimously voted down the scheme, for Sandleford in Newbury, at its planning and highways committee recently.

“We just don’t want a great big development like this here,” said David Marsh (Green, Wash Common). “The extra traffic generated by this at the Sainsbury’s roundabout will bring it even more to a standstill.”

It means, if approved, all the extra traffic, despite minor access changes, will join the Andover Road by Park House School.

The planning inspector allowed another, larger development of more than a thousand homes from Bloor Homes to go ahead last year, after it had been refused by West Berkshire Council, citing the need for more housing supply.

The latest application from Donnington New Homes sits to the west of that site, with access along Warren Road. There are plans to broaden Warren Road to six metres wide.

Owned and led by Mark Norgate, Donnington New Homes is the second generation of Norgate house builders to be based in Newbury.

The family firm is based at New Warren Farm on Warren Road, so means the developers will be literally building in their own back yard.

The application comes up before West Berkshire Council planners in March, and has already generated a vast numbers of objections.

“…the Donnington team were referring to numbers based purely on the Donnington estate using Warren Road,” wrote PA and Ian Paterson.

“However, with an extra 500/600 homes adjacent to the Donnington development it is highly likely those from the Bloor estate will use Warren Road too.”

While David Munson wrote: “The Department for Transport stated poor planning decisions in the area have reverted Newbury's traffic problems to how it was prior to the A34 diversion. A development of this size will create havoc on these small roads.

“Schools, care homes, industrial and commercial premises will bring heavy goods lorries again on to roads not fit for purpose.”

Others wrote in to West Berkshire Council concerned the access via Warren Road would be “an accident waiting to happen” due to proximity with Park House School and Falkland Primary School.

“Currently, we have a weak government and local MP with no understanding or care for what this area needs," wrote Brian Dickerson. "It is certainly not yet more housing. Especially if it is to be built in an area of natural beauty with access roads that will cause death, injury and, at the very least, mass congestion.

“I sincerely hope this council will finally stand up for its residents and totally, dismiss this proposal.”

More wrote in about the concern over loss of nature, biodiversity and open space.

“Sir David Attenborough’s recent series about the wildlife of the British Isles made it clear that we really do need to do the ‘right thing” and make more of an effort to save our beautiful country for future generations to enjoy,” said Lisa Haynes.

An application to widen Warren Road to make it in to an access road and bus route with cycle paths is still not determined by the council according to the latest bid.

It says it will protect Brick Hill Copse and other woodland “of value” on the site.

The development will also retain New Warren Farm House as a nod to the area’s agricultural heritage.

Around 2,000 homes are earmarked for the whole of the Sandleford site, with half of those due to be built before 2026 after the government intervened to over rule West Berkshire Council’s rejection of the plans.

Among those objecting to development of the site was the Watership Down author Richard Adams, who spoke out about the proposals before his death six years ago.

Developers have been trying to build at the site since it was allocated for development in 2012.

Thousands of fans flock to the site each year to follow in the footsteps of the novel’s gang of rabbits.

And in a real-life echo of the fictional children’s classic, protesters have been fighting development and said protected habitats and ancient woodlands would be at risk if it was allowed to go ahead.