Fiercely-opposed plans for up to 350 homes and a 68-unit care home in Barkham have been approved on appeal.
Berkeley Strategic Land’s plans to develop 26 hectares of agricultural land near Blagrove Lane were refused by Wokingham Borough Council’s planning committee in September, going against officers’ recommendation. A total of 409 objections had been received from neighbours.
Reasons for refusal included erosion of the gap between Wokingham and Barkham, impact on the countryside, inadequate highways provision and lack of affordable homes. The proposal includes a 35 per cent proportion of affordable homes which is policy-compliant.
The scheme also includes 10 hectares of open space.
However, the council could demonstrate only a 1.7-year supply of housing land which equates to 2,321 homes.
In his report planning inspector Andrew McGlone stated: “The proposal would result in benefits and harms, and weighing the two is not a mathematical exercise, but the harms mean that the proposal conflicts with the development plan as a whole.
“That said, the proposal would deliver either a policy-compliant level of affordable housing or a slightly sub-policy-compliant provision with a care home that is also needed.
“The affordable housing mix would provide a mix of tenures. The proposal would also not result in isolated homes in the countryside, as it would abut and extend the settlement of Wokingham.
“Its location, whilst not perfect, would provide future occupants with a choice of transport modes, and measures can be secured to encourage people to prioritise the use of sustainable transport modes.
“Further, safe and suitable access can be achieved for all, and the design of the accesses reflect current national guidance, and the development’s significant impacts on highway safety, capacity and congestion can be mitigated where they arise.”
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