Charvil Parish Council has responded to planning application number 250407: the proposed development of 9 homes on land to the read of Oak Tree, Waingels Rd, Charvil
Charvil Parish Council are objecting to this application on the following grounds:
1. This site was put forward for inclusion in the call for sites for the current Local Plan and was deemed unsuitable because it was in the countryside between Woodley and Charvil, and “would fail to achieve a satisfactory relationship to the existing settlement pattern”, according to the site assessment report of 2019. This plan is contrary to CP11 and does not fit into any of the listed exceptions that would allow development.
2. The site borders a bird sanctuary and the only area of ancient woodland in Charvil. Development of this site would therefore be contrary to CP7, as it is hard to argue that the potential benefit of developing this site would not be outweighed by the potential permanent damage in one of the most environmentally sensitive areas of Charvil. As well as this, there is a great danger of leachates at the construction phase, and any development of this sight would negatively impact the enjoyment of Ashenbury Park which is situated on the other side of the bird sanctuary. Development would permanently impact negatively one of the few green expanses within Woodley and would damage the sense of being in the countryside.
3. Waingels Road is a narrow, and in places, bendy road, with a narrow pavement on the opposite side of the road from this development, and for much of it, is not wide enough for pushchairs, wheelchairs or mobility scooters. The closest bus stops are served by a poor service, and none of the current residents of Waingels Road see this as a viable alternative to the private car. Given that the proposed access is very narrow, and will be single track in places, and the proposed junction is on a blind bend, this will be contrary to CP6, which states that any development should not lead to highway problems. The road is currently promoted as a cycle route by the borough, and the proposed junction will reduce the safety of vulnerable road users. Further, in the site assessment document of 2019, it states that “the site access track currently lies adjacent to a number of residential dwellings at close proximity, raising concerns of its suitability. The intensification of use of this access, should the site be developed, would result in unneighbourly noise and disturbance.”
4. Currently, there is no sewer serving this part of Waingels Road, and even if Thames Water can find a solution to the difficulties they have had installing the first-time sewerage scheme, it has been designed to serve the current dwellings. Because of this, these homes would need their own pumping station, and there must be concerns that in the event of malfunction, the bird sanctuary and fishery to the rear of the site could be adversely affected. The site is also Grade 2 farmland, although we acknowledge that as the site is small, this is not as significant as when regarding larger sites, but taking the two points together, along with the sustainable transport issues, this proposal is also contrary to CP1.
5. Regarding the proposal itself, which is at this stage only indicative and short on detail, the density of the proposal is significantly greater than the density of the existing dwellings, which makes it completely out of character with the rest of the road, and will lead to a sense of urbanisation, which is unacceptable in such a location. The proposed density is greater than in much of the central part of the village and is greater than that of the 75 dwellings recently given permission in Park Lane.
For all these reasons, and those brought to your attention by residents, the Parish Council believes the reasons for refusing this application outweigh the pressures on the Borough Council to approve applications in the light of the shortfall in the five year housing supply.
You can find the full planning application and associated documents by searching for application number 250407 on the Wokingham Borough Planning Portal: Wokingham Borough Council Online Planning
