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Drama, mystery, tension and delight were all part of a debate over whether the former Hurst Show fields could be built on.
Teetering on a knife edge, the plan for 23 homes eventually came down on the side of being refused permission.
There was cheering and applause as 50 residents greeted the decision, by just one vote, at Wokingham Borough Council’s planning committee on Wednesday, February 14.
Helmsley Land, which applied for permission has the option to appeal against that decision. As delighted residents left the meeting, Douglas Bond, who had spoken for the applicant, declined to comment to Wokingham Today about the refusal.
A total of 378 messages had been sent objecting to the building in School Road, between St Nicholas Primary and Hurst Village Hall. There were 17 supporting it.
The debate which had swung to and fro had a dramatic end. Council officers had recommended the scheme should be approved and Chair Councillor David Cornish (Lib Dem) called for a vote on that.
But Hurst’s borough councillor Wayne Smith (Conservative) stepped in to propose the plan was refused permission. There was debate about whether the proposal was allowed at this point, but it went ahead.
The committee voted five to four to refuse permission.
Tony Robinson, who spoke on behalf of Hurst Parish Council which opposed the plan, said afterwards: “We’re really pleased. It goes to support our view Hurst is not a sustainable location. Just to get to the village shop you have to cross the A321 twice.
“We’re grateful to all the residents who came, including Jessica Lake who spoke about her experience as a Hurst resident.”
He had told councillors the council had consistently and recently refused other applications on green fields.
Mrs Lake told councillors the street scene would change by a ‘large magnitude’, with the loss of three trees and a wide access road. It would be an ‘incongruous housing estate, highly visible.’
The number of cars which drop off and pick up schoolchildren was far in excess of the 11-13 suggested. The plan proposed a car park for the school for 15 cars.
For the development, Mr Bond said: “The site lies in the heart of Hurst adjacent to the school and the village hall. It’s within walking distance of other Hurst village facilities …This part of Hurst is indeed sustainable.”
The plan had a full complement of affordable homes.
Council planning official Mark Croucher said parking restrictions, double yellow lines, would be installed on School Road where there were problems with parking and the scheme would improve things.
He said the plan would harm the landscape, but that would be quite localised. It was a quite unique site having facilities on its doorstep.
There was mystery at the meeting. Chair Cllr David Cornish revealed there had been a Freedom of Information request relating to the application, but he gave few details.
There had been some suggestion that because of a lack of clarity the planning decision should be deferred.
“Nothing material has been withheld. More importantly, if we defer it it would take us beyond the extension period [the council was given to make a decision.],” he said.
“If we deferred it would be approved by an inspector for non-determination.”
The Leader of the council, Councillor Stephen Conway, was said to be taking up the situation up internally.
Councillor Rachelle Shepherd-DuBey (Lib Dem), commenting on the plan’s 40% affordable homes said: “For young people it’s impossible for those who want to get onto the housing ladder.”
Cllr Smith said there had been five decisions [on schemes to build homes] within 1,000 yards of the 23 homes site, but only one was approved by a planning inspector, and said ‘affordable homes’ were not actually affordable, with a two-bedroom house recently sold for £445,000.
His suggestion for refusal because of unsustainability leading to over-reliance on the use of motor vehicles and also the site’s landscape setting was agreed.
Afterwards Hurst resident, Nicola Lawson, 40, welcomed the decision, saying: “Flooding is a problem [in Hurst] and toilets have been blocked up. We need proper infrastructure.”
Anna Fitzpatrick, 42, said she was concerned about the plan’s two extra junctions in School Road and children’s safety.
