West Berkshire residents can watch Sandleford Park development on YouTube next month

West Berkshire residents will, for the first time, be able to hear the arguments for and against the Sandleford Park development, after the Government agreed to live stream the planning appeal.

The public inquiry, which will determine whether or not 1,000 homes can be built on the site off Monks Lane, will be broadcast live on YouTube following pressure from opposition councillors.

The inquiry is due to start on May 5 and is expected to run for most of the month.

Plans to build homes at Sandleford have been in the pipeline for more than a decade, ever since West Berkshire Council identified it as a preferred site for housing in 2010.

The first planning application was submitted by Bloor Homes in December 2015 but refused by the council in November 2017.

Bloor has since submitted a further four applications, but these have also been rejected by the council and the developer has now decided to appeal.

As reported by the Newbury Weekly News last month, the appeal was originally due to be decided by a Planning Inspector, but the Housing Secretary Robert Jenrick has exercised his powers to ensure that the decision is made by himself or his ministerial team instead.

The reason given was that “proposals for residential development of over 150 units would significantly impact on the Government’s objective to secure a better balance between housing demand and supply.”

A letter to the council from the Ministry of Communities Housing and Local Government says: “Although the appeal was to be decided by an inspector, the secretary of state considers that he should determine it himself.

“This means that instead of writing a decision, the inspector will prepare a report and recommendation which will be forwarded to the secretary of state.”

However, there are concerns Mr Jenrick’s team could be presented with a conflict of interest as the owner of Bloor Homes, John Bloor, made a £962,000 donation to the Conservative Party in the lead up to the 2019 General Election.

He also made a donation of £400,000 before the 2017 General Election through his company, JS Bloor.

Opposition councillors from both Greenham Parish Council and Newbury Town Council are now busy preparing to present their case for refusing the application ahead of the inquiry.

Tony Vickers, who sits on both local councils and is also the planning spokesman for West Berkshire Council’s Liberal Democrat opposition group, said: “We are very pleased that the Planning Inspectorate has agreed to our request to broadcast the inquiry live on YouTube. They had previously they said they wouldn’t.

“After over 10 years and four decisions to refuse planning applications for Sandleford under delegated powers given to planning officers, this is the first time the public will be able to hear the arguments.

“It will also be the first time that councillors come face-to-face with a Sandleford developer.”

The chairman of the Sandleford Joint Working Group, councillor Roger Hunneman, will lead the case for Newbury Town Council at the inquiry, while Dr Vickers will present the case for Greenham Parish Council.