WOKINGHAM Borough Council has upheld its decision to reject a planning application to build homes on land close to London Road.
The decision was made at an extraordinary planning committee meeting on Tuesday, August 2.
Earlier this year, the planning committee rejected an application from Beaulieu Homes to erect 54 homes, including 19 affordable, off St Anne’s Drive, near Hilton St Anne’s Manor.
The reason for the original decision was the development would reduce the settlement gap between Wokingham and Bracknell.
Additional grounds for the refusal included the applicant’s failure to secure the necessary infrastructure, on and off-site services and amenities, or to provide “adequate financial contributions” to mitigate the impact of the development.
The committee also said there was no legal agreement to secure the provision of affordable housing and its transfer to a registered provider.
There was further concern over the developments impact on, and loss of, protected trees.
Beaulieu Homes appealed the council’s decision and it was referred to the planning inspector.
Mary Severin, from the council’s legal team, said: “Since the time this application was refused on January 13, 2022, in the course of dealing with the appeal, we have received confidential legal advice from the barrister instructed to represent us.
“He has provided us with new information which was not available at the time of the January decision.”
The information Ms Severin referred to was not made available to the public due to a legal exemption which allowed the planning committee to debate the matter in private.
As a result of the information, the application was brought back to the committee for them to vote on if they should proceed with the reasons for refusal given originally, given the new
information
Cllr John Kaiser, Conservative councillor for Barkham, said: “I would like to say I am surprised and disappointed that the planning decision made at the previous meeting, where a democratic vote was taken, is back here tonight.”
Cllr Kaiser’s view was shared by Cllr Chris Bowring, Conservative councillor for Wokingham Without.
Cllr Wayne Smith, Conservative councillor for Hurst, and Cllr Rebecca Margetts, Conservative councillor for Finchampstead South, were concerned about the public being excluded from the meeting and the information being withheld.
Cllr Margetts said: “We had a vast amount of residents object to this.
“Over 300 objections and they will not be able to hear genuine reasons and information as to why this is changing.
“So I want to make it clear that I do feel very uncomfortable about this situation that residents are being excluded.”
Cllr Stephen Conway, Liberal Democrat councillor for Twyford, acknowledged the concerns, stating that everyone would feel “uncomfortable” with the process and that an open report would “always be preferable”.
The committee then considered the information in part two of the report and decided they would uphold their original decision to reject the application.
The committee added: “Since this application was refused, the council can no longer demonstrate a five-year housing land supply.
“In preparation for the appeal the council’s planning committee were asked to closely consider the reasons given to refuse the planning permission in January.
“The committee have now authorised officers not to present evidence to the appeal for reasons for refusal one and two providing appropriate negotiations can be reached
with the appellant in relation to the appeal.”
This means the council will no longer contest the application based on the reduction of a settlement gap between Wokingham and Bracknell or the impact on protected trees.
Ther council will focus solely on the absence of a legal agreement for affordable housing and the applicants failure to secure the necessary infrastructure.
