Pippa Middleton’s husband’s plans for creche in Bucklebury get thumbs down from roads team at council

Pippa Middleton’s husband’s plans for a countryside creche in Bucklebury have hit a snag.

West Berkshire Council’s roads teams say the plans, for 24 children, will generate too much traffic.

The council’s road experts say they are worried about the extra number of cars the creche will spark – and have recommended the plans be refused.

Local councillor Chris Read (Lib Dem, Bucklebury) has called the decision in, meaning it will be debated by the council’s planning committee.

“I was saddened by the determinations of highways when I saw the application and I have called it into eastern area planning committee if WBC planning are minded to refuse the application," he said.

“I believe the business case and community benefit for the application at Bucklebury Farm Park is strong and I hope planning see this benefit outweighing any concerns that highways have.

“We are short of wrap-around nursery and early years places for full-time working parents.

“Nearest other pre-schools are Beenham and Southend Bradfield – both highly regarded and excellently staffed but not covering a full working day.

“The location of the proposed nursery is a truly outstanding opportunity for young children to see farm animals and nature at its finest.

“Generally, I am very concerned that highways are seen as a block to rural businesses diversifying to stay viable and to maintain vibrant villages and rural communities in West Berkshire.

“With the significant increase in capital investment by the council administration in road infrastructure this year, I am looking to highways to ensure some of that investment can be seen in rural road improvement.

“I am not sure if this could help reduce any concerns highways may have in this case, perhaps a speed limit in the approach roads to the farm park?

“However, I suspect there are currently more cars during a busy weekend for the Farm Park than there ever will be to collect children from nursery at the end of a weekday.”

Pippa’s hedge fund manager husband James Matthews bought rural Bucklebury Farm with his business partner James Murray for £1.3m in March 2021.

The Matthews have carried out a series of improvements to Bucklebury Farm since they bought it four years ago.

It has a deer park, soft play area, animal petting, office space and café.

They don’t need to build the nursery as the buildings already exist, but a change of use would need to be granted to allow them to legally use them for early years education.

It would be housed in a log cabin approved for on-site staff accommodation in 2015, before Pippa and her family owned the park.

A change of use was granted eight years later, to allow the cabin to be used as office space with meeting rooms, a workshop and studio.

West Berkshire Council’s highways department said: “When the local highways authority assessed [the 2023 planning application] there were concerns that the building would be utilised independently of the farm park and that there would be an unacceptable increase in vehicle movements in an unsustainable location.

“There are no alternative modes of travel to the site other than private car.

“The application was, on balance, accepted by highways on the basis that the use was proposed to be once or twice a week.

“This application now seeks to add in a non-residential creche, day centre or nursery. This is a significant concern.

“This would result in staff and children/attendees’ vehicle movements, travelling to and from the site potentially daily, in what is an unsustainable location.

“No details of sessions, capacity etc is provided, which should accompany an application such as this, however this will not overcome the highway concerns with this proposal.

“A creche, day centre or nursery could see a much greater use at the site, potentially daily use, with all staff and children/attendees travelling to the site by private car.

“The proposed additional use class would result in an unacceptable increase in vehicle movements in what is an unsustainable location.”

However, the council did add that concerns could be allayed by benefits to the rural economy, the provision of jobs and the lack of similar nearby nurseries.

Bucklebury Parish Council has no objection to the application.

Caroline Downie – writing to West Berkshire planners on behalf of agent Lasseter Downie Planning – tried to calm fears.

She explained that there would be a maximum of 24 children on site and it would take three years to reach capacity.

There would be one manager, two qualified teachers and a couple of apprentices, adding that up to 20 parents had already expressed an interest.

“This offering as discussed above will not be large but will offer children a unique experience with access to the farm park facilities and the learning that this will provide.

“The applicant has been researching demand through social media and has established that there are already 17 to 20 parents that are interested should this facility become available to them.”

The application is yet to be scheduled for the eastern area planning committee.