Planning Matters

HVS continues to monitor the Wokingham District Council planning lists, as well as developments in the parish, in order to protect, maintain and enhance the character of Hurst.

At long last we have Design for Hurst, which is the result of work carried out by volunteers, HVS and Hurst Parish Council over the last three years to identify the unique and special characteristics of the built and natural environment in Hurst that we want to keep, and recommend ways in which they can be maintained, even within new developments.

Design for Hurst is now adopted as Supplementary Planning Guidance, and HVS is using the recommendations in letters to the Development Control Committee. Design for Hurst is available to read on this website.

Summary of recent correspondence

HVS alerted WDC to the two metre high wooden fence that suddenly appeared without planning permission in the middle of February to screen Rosevale in School Road. The developer has since applied for temporary planning permission.

The Director of Planning Services, Simon Birch visited the ‘garage’ at the Garden House, Wokingham Rd on 20 April as a result of letters from HVS and the Parish Council complaining of the lack of enforcement action here. The developer has not only built a ‘garage’ without planning permission, the ditch at the front has been filled in and a wall built over it, and conifer trees at the rear boundary were felled, although assurances had been given that they would be retained.

We continue to resist development at Fairbrook, Wokingham Rd. While a new house is built in the garden to the south of Fairbrook, and have called for refusal of the development of a ‘three in one’ house to the north.

Hurst Village Society commented on the new planning application for one house to be built at Manor Farm, Binfield Road. We have asked for conditions to be applied to ensure the planting of native species of trees at the boundaries, insertion of owl windows and use of traditional materials to minimise the impact of this new development on the wildlife and countryside.

HVS has called for a traffic assessment of the Binfield Road/Forest Road junction and its ability to cope with increased amount of traffic coming from a proposed development of 220 houses in Plough Lane, Wokingham.

The Oracle Corporation has applied for the extension of its planning permission for a conference and training centre at Sandford Farm, Woodley for a further three years. This is good news, as residents in Hurst and Woodley would like to see this controversial site removed from the reserve list of sites for housing.