‘Considerable need’ for Theale retirement flats

Beechcroft Developments Ltd and W Cumber & Son (Theale) Ltd are to build 27 retirement properties for the over-55s on land to the rear of 40-58 High Street.
The application will provide 28 car parking spaces for the complex, with another five spaces for the use of the neighbouring John Cumber community hall.
Residents and the parish council had raised concerns about the number of parking spaces, the narrow access to the site, the practicality of bin collections and whether retirement accommodation was needed in the village.
Addressing these concerns at a meeting of West Berkshire Council eastern area planning committee last week, planning agent Giles Brockbank said that the access would not lead to issues of highway safety.
He added that the applicants were confident that the flats would meet a demand and that a site manager would supervise the bin collection.
He said there was a strong recommendation to approve the scheme and that the site had been identified for residential development by the council.
Reiterating residents’ concerns, the district councillor for Theale, Alan Macro (Lib Dem) said: “One space per dwelling is not really sufficient. There are no spaces for visitors and you have to expect carers to visit as well as relatives. The traffic generation has been based on sheltered accommodation. This is not that. The people there might be employed or have two cars. I just don’t think we have enough parking spaces.”
Mr Macro said that he was concerned about pedestrian safety and congestion, owing to the narrow access and poor visibility to the site, while bin lorries stopping at the head of the access road would add further delays.
“If a vehicle is coming out, then a vehicle can’t get in. The area gets congested at peak times and buses get held up. We just can’t afford to have congestion in that area.”
However, Alan Law (Con, Basildon) said that while he was conscious of the issues raised, others were at play.
He said: “If you talk to our housing department they will say there’s considerable need, so we can put that doubt to bed.This is also giving us 10 affordable houses and these are like gold dust. We are trying to get the over-55s to downsize and not hold on to extra bedrooms.
“Access is not ideal, but I think we are spoilt here because we are rural; that access is not strange.”
Proposing that the application be approved, Keith Chopping (Con, Sulhamstead) said that the flats would be a credit to Theale and sit comfortably on the site.
Councillors approved the plans by seven votes, with two objections and two abstentions.