NNWN-11-18-2021-001

34

Thursday, November 18, 2021

Newbury Weekly News

NORTH HAMPSHIRE NEWS

‘Wrong houses, wrong place’ Ashford Hill comes out in force to protest against further 45 homes in village

NORTH HAMPSHIRE Keeping in touch

Have you got a story? Contact our North Hampshire reporter JONATHAN ASHBY, on (01635) 886637, or email: jonathan.ashby@ newburynews.co.uk Twitter @jonathana_ nwn

“IT’S a disaster waiting to hap- pen.” Those were the words from one Ashford Hill resident as around 50 concerned villagers turned out with placards to protest against 45 homes being built in the village. ‘Keep Ashford Hill rural’, ‘no to houses here’ and ‘wrong hous- es, wrong place’ were just some of the signs on display, as resi- dents voiced their frustration at the proposals – two years on from the completion of the 35-home Oakfield Lane development at the junction of the B3051 and Ashford Hill Road. Planning permission for 27 homes on the adjacent site was also approved by the planning in- spectorate in August this year af- ter being turned down by the bor- ough council. Three months on, Ashford Hill residents have come out in force to object to a further 45 homes in the village, saying it “fundamentally changes the character, safety, en- vironmental qualities and peace of the village forever”. Resident Melissa Tayabali said: “This is quite a dangerous road [the B3051] and it’s getting more and more traffic. You can’t just walk down here, or bike really. “From a safety perspective, it’s a disaster waiting to happen. “From an environmental per- spective, all the land slopes to where the brook is. It needs one leakage and that is completely im- pacted.” The land is owned by absentee

News updates from North Hampshire are now available online throughout the week. Go to newburytoday.co.uk and select the district pages

Protesters gather outside field where 45 houses are proposed; plan of the scheme on the right

Ref: 46-0921

Gritting route being prepared for winter HIGHCLERE will be hit by roadworks next week as the county council prepares the main road for the winter and for grit- ting season. From Monday until Wednesday, there will be traffic lights on the A343 just south of the southern Westridge entrance, between High- clere Street and Westridge. The one.network website says this is for 14 sq m “carriageway patching” and “180m foot- way siding out 500mm deep”. The work is due to the road being one of the council’s primary winter gritting routes. Delays are to be expected.

arise to the loss of this greenfield site to a residential development. However, the degree of harm is re- duced having regard to the limited (localised) effect of the scheme on the character and appearance of the wider countryside. “The harm is also reduced ow- ing to the high-quality nature of the proposed development and its compliance with the character, pattern and grain of development associated with Ashford Hill.” The application will now go to the borough council’s develop- ment control committee for con- sideration. To view the application, head to the council’s planning portal and enter the reference 21/02696/OUT.

landlords Michael and Rosemary Pelham, who live in Oxfordshire, and is used for agriculture. It is also bordered to the east by woodland which is part of the Ash- ford Hill National Nature Reserve. Resident Patrick Taylor said: “To sum it up, we’re all just fed up of having more housing dumped on us. “We’re a small village – we’ve already had 62 houses approved to add to this village, which is over 50 per cent of the current size of the village, and there are no facilities. “There’s no shop, we don’t have any buses, the school is full. “There’s also the fact that those trees are in a national nature re- serve.

“This field drains out that way and if there’s ever a fault with the sewage system they put in – be- cause there’s no mains drainage – the effluent will go down into the national nature reserve. “So we’re endangering the bio- diversity of a major area of natural habitat. And that’s wrong.” The protest was also attended by the Basingstoke and Deane Bor- ough Council leader and Ashford Hill resident Ken Rhatigan, who said: “Greenfield development cannot be done without infrastruc- ture first, and there’s no infra- structure being delivered.” A planning statement prepared by applicant JPP Land states: “It is acknowledged that some harmwill

NWN TRAVEL OFFER

The is again helping Santa to cope with all the Christmas letters he receives from children across West Berkshire. If you send your letter to us, with a photograph of yourself, we will print it in a special edition called Dear Santa. This is a great way to let everyone know what you are wishing for this Christmas, and to get your picture in the newspaper. We will also send a copy of the publication to Santa – just to make sure! To enter, email your letter and picture to: dearsanta@newburynews.co.uk CHILDREN AGED 0 TO 12 YEARS OF AGE MAY TAKE PART. CLOSING DATE: Wednesday 24th November 2021 at 12 Noon. Publication date (in the NWN) – Thursday 2nd December 2021

Two pre-Christmas Day Trip Specials!

Bath at Christmas This year there isn't a full Christmas Market in Bath but instead there are all the normal shops and attractions plus the

About NWN Travel Offers NWN Travel Offers celebrates 25 successful years in 2021! We launched the service back in 1996 to offer good-value breaks And days away with interesting itineraries departing from handy local pickups. Thousands of readers have enjoyed a wide variety of breaks. NWN Travel Offers is simply a way NWN readers can enjoy quality weekends and holidays with the added bonus of travelling with other people from the locality

reshaped Bath at Christmas programme will include: A number of festive stalls in Kingston Parade and Abbey Green with priority given to local traders The independent Bath artisan market in Queen Square Traditional Christmas celebrations around the Abbey Quarter An illumination trail of the iconic and historic buildings of Bath A Victorian carousel ride outside of the Roman Baths Street entertainment and carol singing To add to the festive spirit there will be stalls serving traditional Christmas food and drink and a festive light parade. Sunday 28 Nov £20 Wellesbourne Market & Stratford Christmas Market Wellesbourne market is one of the UK’s largest outdoor markets, with over 500 stalls there is something for everyone. It’s a shopping experience not to be missed. Then to Stratford-upon-Avon, the birthplace of William Shakespeare, steeped in culture and history. Set in the

beautiful rural Warwickshire countryside, on the banks of the river Avon, today is the Victorian Christmas Market with traditional fun fair. Sat 11 Dec £21.

Convenient pick-ups (subject to minimum numbers travelling) NEWBURY, THATCHAM, HUNGERFORD, THEALE

Please telephone 01793 821303 for further information or to book. Organised and operated by Barnes Travel.