Councillors renew objections to four-home plan

HUNGERFORD Town Council has renewed its objection to resubmitted plans for new homes in Hungerford.

As previously reported, revised proposals to build four new homes in Hungerford have been submitted to planners.

Applicant Sir Edward Troupe wants to build the two-storey homes on land to the west of Everland Road.

The new submission tries to address concerns over tree loss at the site, stating that an arboriculturalist had determined that they required felling due to age or disease.

But at a recent meeting of the town council’s environment and planning committee, councillors registered a new, formal objection with planners.

They gave several grounds for their objection, citing

■ Lack of a consultation response from West Berkshire Council’s highways department, in particular regarding site access, ownership of the road, access for waste collection vehicles, access for emergency vehicles and the potential for vehicles to access the site via Tesco’s car park

n■ It represents a development in an industrial/ semi-industrial area

■ A perceived adverse visual impact of the development, particularly on the landscape and locality

■ A perceived detrimental effect of proposed development on the character of the local area

■ The adverse effect of the development on the character and appearance of the Conservation Area

■ Concern over the removal of the existing trees, in particular the beech tree, to enable the new entrance to the site.

The committee also recommended a full environmental impact study, a bat survey and a Mesolithic study of the area.

Finally, town councillors expressed concern over the absence of a required orange note to give nearby residents advance warning of the application.

The committee was objecting in its formal advisory capacity.

The final decision will be taken by planners at West Berkshire Council.

Meanwhile, the resubmitted application for planning permission for the project can be viewed in full, and commented on, by visiting the planning section of West Berkshire Council’s website and using the reference 21/01722/FULD.

The committee was objecting in its formal advisory capacity