Newbury MP Laura Farris: Is Thatcham right place for 2,500 homes?
MP questioning West Berkshire Council allocation and asking about Newbury Showground suitability
John Herring
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NEWBURY MP Laura Farris has questioned whether West Berkshire Council’s proposals for thousands of new homes is “Thatcham or nothing”.
The council has proposed 170 hectares of land at north east Thatcham for development of up to 2,500 homes in its Local Plan Review. A thousand homes have been proposed at Sandleford Park in Newbury, and smaller allocations have been proposed across the district.
Mrs Farris said at a Thatcham Town Council meeting on Monday that she was in ongoing discussions over whether it was the right location for the huge development.
The site in north east Thatcham that has been earmarked for the massive development A controversial project to build 2,500 homes and three schools in Thatcham is expected to begin in 2024.
West Berkshire Council has earmarked 170 hectares of land in north east Thatcham for this ambitious development in its new Local Plan for 2020 to 2037, which was recently scrutinised by people during an eight-week public consultation. The council is hoping the detailed plan, which sets planning policies and reveals which sites can be built on, will be signed off by the government by 2023. It would pave the way for developers to obtain planning permission for developments in Thatcham and begin construction in 2024.
Infrastructure projects outlined for 2,500 homes at Thatcham
Masterplanning documents suggest options for education , transport and environment
John Herring
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WHAT would “the single largest development in West Berkshire’s living memory” - 2,500 homes in north east Thatcham - provide for the town?
Masterplanning documents drawn up by David Lock Associates and Stantec outline infrastructure from developing the homes.
The documents are not a planning application and do not represent a final design should the development go ahead.
Education
The report outlines two primary schools, one three-form entry and the other two-form, and an eight-form secondary school.
The documents do not propose the developers pay for the full cost of the secondary school.
West Berkshire Council will not have its fingers burned over 2,500-home Thatcham proposal
Town council concerned over repeat of Newbury s Sandleford Park
John Herring
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A SENIOR West Berkshire Council officer has said the council “will not have its fingers burned again” over plans for thousands of homes.
The fields at north east Thatcham have been put forward by a consortium of land owners and developers, including Donnington New Homes, The Wasing Estate, A2Dominion and Ptarmigan Land.
Speaking at last week’s meeting, Richard Crumly (Con, Thatcham Central) said he feared a repeat of the ongoing situation at Sandleford Park in Newbury.