‘They would be crammed into a garden’: Planning Inspector rejects homes

By JAMES ALDRIDGE Local democracy reporter

A PLAN to build two homes in Crowthorne has been rejected, after neighbours argued the buildings would be ‘crammed into a garden’.

Developers Ball and Hattersley had submitted a proposal to build two homes to the rear of 33 and 35 The Avenue in the Wokingham borough side of the village.

They would have had four bedrooms and erected on unused land between homes in The Avenue and New Wokingham Road.

Neighbours opposed the plan, saying the ‘backland’ nature of the development would encroach on their amenities and create a cramped space between the two roads.

Wokingham Borough Council’s planning department rejected the plans, and the developers appealed to the government planning inspectorate. This has been dismissed.

In his decision, the planning inspector argued the two homes would contrast with the ‘linear pattern of development’ and undermine the ‘prevailing sense of uniformity’ in the area.

Additionally, building to the rear of The Avenue would harm the ‘verdant’ and secluded character of the land and the neighbourhood which occupies it. The inspector added: “The proposal would risk establishing a harmful precedent for backland housing, which would make future applications for similar development difficult to resist.

“In turn, this could lead to further incremental development within this same location, which would erode the sense of openness, verdancy and seclusion which typifies the land.”

Bernadette Mitra, one of the neighbours who opposed the plan, said: “We are only too happy with the decision by the Planning Inspectorate.

“It was concluded that, by virtue of its backland location, the placement and excessive size would fail to integrate with the surrounding area, resulting in a harmful tightening of the urban grain and harm to the character of the area.

“A group of very concerned residents in The Avenue have said they would like to see backland development prohibited at national and local level.

“They have also stated that they would still like Wokingham Borough Council to push ahead with the revised local plan which the previous administration was planning.

“We all live in hope that the current administration would finalise the local plan with a sense of urgency.”

Mrs Mitra referred to the Wokingham Local Plan Update process, with the council’s previous Conservative administration issuing a revised draft plan in November 2021.

After the closure of a consultation period, this is now in the process of being revised by the current administration.

The refused application for The Avenue by is reference 211770 on Wokingham Borough Council’s planning portal, and the appeal decision on the planning inspectorate website using reference APP/ X0360/W/22/3291746.

A church service to thank mothers

A SONNING church will hold a thanksgiving service for mothers: birth mothers, guiding mothers and the mother church.

Children in the service will distribute flowers to women at the service.

The event is at The Church of St Andrew, Sonning on Sunday, March 19.

It begins at 10.30am. n For more information about the church, visit: www.sonningparish. org.uk

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