Row over Membury airfield storage plan
PLANS to turn a large section of land next to Membury airfield into an open storage area are being hotly contested, writes Local Democracy Reporter Niki Hinman.
Locals say they are sick of continued overdevelopment, and say the area is fast becoming industrial as opposed to the Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty (AONB) in which it sits.
Lambourn Parish Council also objects, saying there has been much development on the Membury Industrial Estate in the past three years, adding that West Berkshire Council (WBC) needs to undertake an urgent cumulative impact assessment of the site before granting any further planning applications in this area.
The applicant wants to change the use of the land to allow for open storage.
The council’s planning officers are recommending the plans are approved, saying the proposed change of use is not considered to harm the character and appearance of the area or AONB, subject to securing appropriate landscaping.
But people living nearby disagree.
“It is quite obvious that the applicants’ agents are yet again trying to run rings around West Berks Council as well as the local community,” wrote Piers and Rachel Yeld.
“The land in question was granted permission to develop AONB land for storage and distribution purposes.
“Hardly surprising, the AONB organisation regard this site as brownfield since the applicant has bulldozed hundreds of tonnes of earth to clear and level the land they lease.
“There must be consequences for wrongful land destruction and its environmental impact.”
The site sits within an AONB and is outside a protected employment area.
“Although planning had been previously granted, the land has been segmented and made to look like brownfield site by the clearance of vegetation,” said Helen Windridge.
“The effect of further development will have a major influence on the volume of traffic, increase local noise, light and air pollution.”
The application was due to be discussed at West Berkshire Council’s western area planning committee meeting as this paper went to print yesterday (Wednesday).