Plans to build a new block of flats close to Wokingham town centre have been approved – after neighbours raised fears it would ‘tower over’ their homes and cause traffic problems.
Burlington Developments can create a four-storey building containing 42 flats on Latimer Road.
Among the objections, residents said the flats would only have 34 parking spaces, and the height of the development would mean daylight would be blocked in some homes.
The owners of a nearby Nisa shop were concerned that delivery lorries would have to stop on Barkham Road, holding up traffic.
Members of Wokingham Borough’s planning committee delayed their decision at a previous meeting on Wednesday, November 13, so they could visit the site themselves. When they reconvened on Wednesday, January 10, they discussed the plans.
Cllr Michael Firmager said he still had concerns: “I had problems trying to park around there, and I parked some considerable distance from it.
“There’s a lot of residents’ parking around there, lots of single yellow lines, double yellow lines. Knowing what human nature is, there’s going to be more cars wanting to park there than there are spaces – and where are the cars going to park?”
A council planning officer said the council would demand developers include a parking management plan that would be ‘very strictly enforced’.
He said: “If someone is parking there that shouldn’t be, they will receive a ticket.”
He added that the leases for the seven ‘car free’ flats would stipulate residents must not own a car.
And he said they believe nearby council-run car parks could accommodate visitors’ cars.
Cllr Wayne Smith said he had asked for the site visit because he wanted to see the impact of the bulk and mass of the new block would be. He said that having visited; he thought the development would ‘tidy up’ the site currently occupied by two factories.
He said: “This is a brownfield site. This is where we should be building, and not on greenfield sites.
“I was concerned about the bulk, mass, scale and all of that, and that’s the reason for putting forward a site visit. But on going there, the site is in a pretty sad mess, and I think this will tidy it up.”
The nine councillors on the committee voted unanimously to approve the plans when they met on Wednesday, January 10.
