Housing Secretary to get final say on 1,000-home development at Newbury's Sandleford Park

The arguments for and against have been heard – and now the decision on whether to allow up to 1,000 new homes to be built at Sandleford Park in Newbury rests with Housing Secretary Robert Jenrick and his team.

Over the past four weeks, planning inspector Lesley Coffey has heard hours of evidence during a public inquiry to determine whether one of West Berkshire’s largest planning applications yet should be approved or refused.

Controversial proposals to build houses at Sandleford have been in the pipeline since 2010, however 11 years later no work has started.

Four planning applications have been submitted by developer Bloor Homes altogether, but all of them have been refused by West Berkshire Council.

The most recent of these refusals, in 2020, forms the basis of this appeal.

On Friday, as the public inquiry came to an end, both the council and Bloor had the opportunity to put forward their closing statements.

Emmaline Lambery QC, on behalf of the local authority, acknowledged the benefit more housing would bring, but argued that the proposals conflicted with the council’s declaration of a climate emergency.

She added: “This outline application is full of errors, inaccuracies, inconsistencies, scrabbling around to put forward new designs at the 11th hour.

“West Berkshire has waited nine years for an acceptable proposal for this special site, but the council repeat that there really is no rush for housing.

“There is no rush for this proposal that causes layers of harm, from biodiversity, to landscape, to impact on climate change.

“There is time to wait for a planning application that does demonstrate a carefully struck balance between built environment and natural environment.

“If not, the council has plans of its own.”

In response, Chris Katkowski QC, on behalf of Bloor Homes, said that the development would "deliver extremely worthwhile public benefits", adding that "any sensible person should be bewildered by the council’s refusal of the appeal application for an extraordinary 14 reasons".

He added: “The reasons extend to more than eight pages, rambling and repetitious and for good measure culminating in the Orwellian statement that they are the result of the council ‘approaching this decision in a positive way'.

“In summary, on a proper and sensible analysis, none of the 10 issues raised in the reasons for refusal justify dismissing the appeal.”

In his closing statement, Tony Vickers, representing Newbury Town Council, said: “Local councillors, unlike developers are here for the long term and we will continue to be rightly regarded as accountable to what is allowed to happen here.”

He added: “These proposals will destroy a beautiful part of West Berkshire and won’t contribute at all to tackling climate change.

“The homes are not needed urgently enough to allow anything less than carbon neutral for a scheme that has to last at least a century.

“I’m afraid I can’t accept that the scheme as it stands is anything but a disaster.”

Planning Inspector Lesley Coffey will now compile a report and make recommendations to the Secretary of State, who will make the final decision later in the year.