School Road Development is "Unsustainable" -
Inspector Dismisses Appeal

Plans for 25 new homes in School Road have been judged "unsustainable" by a Government planning inspector.

Hurst Village Society had campaigned against the proposed development on the grounds that 19 houses and a block of six flats would be detrimental to the semi-rural character of the village, and be unsustainable because of the burden on village services and lack of infrastructure.

The planning inspector, Stephen Job who made a site visit in March, reviewed Wokingham council's policy, and representations from residents and the Village Society before making his decision. The development would "introduce an urban element into the centre of Hurst starkly contrasting with the low density housing which surrounds the site on all sides," he wrote. "The proposal has little regard for its context and would…have an unacceptable incongruous appearance."

He dismissed Millgate Homes' appeal against Wokingham council's failure to make a decision on the plans within a prescribed time limit and stated: "The proposed development would have an adverse effect on the character and appearance of the area, this harm would outweigh any advantage that might accrue from using land more efficiently, and the development would be unsustainable."

The inspector assessed the sustainability of the plans against the number of shops, the fact that the school is over-subscribed and cannot expand, lack of health services and significant opportunities for employment, frequency of the bus service, and accessibility of rail services – all of which would result in the occupiers of the development relying heavily on private cars for access to employment, shops and services.

Although Millgate Homes had produced a "draft unilateral undertaking" to remove the great crested newts to a new pond, and make a donation towards council services, the inspector dismissed the offer because it was only in draft form. The inspector’s decision gives clear and specific guidance to planners and developers on what constitutes sustainable development in Hurst which includes: "development proposals should be appropriate to the area in which they are located and respect the local context. Development should not have a detrimental impact on nature conservation features."

Read the Appeal Decision in full.