14 April 2022
Alok Sharma MP opposes Pincents Hill development

Alok Sharma, Member of Parliament for Reading West, has once again opposed an application to build 165 dwellings on the Pincents Hill site.

In early 2019, U+I and TOWN submitted a planning application for the Pincents Hill site, application ref: 19/00113/OUTMAJ. Alok formally objected to this application and amended plans in February 2020, February 2021 and October 2021, and regularly wrote to the respondents of his survey to encourage local residents to formally register their views with West Berkshire Council as part of their consultation on the application. There was also a huge campaign headed by the Combined Save Pincents Hill and Save Calcot Action Groups, that worked tirelessly to spread the word about the application amongst local residents.

In December 2021, Alok wrote to the Rt Hon Michael Gove MP, Secretary of State for Levelling Up, Housing & Communities, to request a Call-In of the application because of local views that the granting of planning permission would be contrary to some of West Berkshire Council’s own planning policies, as well as the National Planning Policy Framework.

The planning application was heard by West Berkshire Council’s Eastern Area Planning Committee on Wednesday 19 January. Alok spoke in opposition to the application at the Committee, along with representatives from Tilehurst Parish Council, Holybrook Parish Council, West Berkshire Councillors for Tilehurst Birch Copse ward, Jo Stewart and Tony Linden, and the Combined Save Pincents Hill and Save Calcot Action Group.

After 3 hours of discussion, members of West Berkshire Council’s Eastern Area Planning Committee unanimously voted to refuse the application. Alok has also received confirmation from the Department for Levelling Up, Housing & Communities that no further action needs to be taken in respect to the Call-In request, given that the planning application has been refused.

However, Council officers subsequently referred the planning application to the District Planning Committee for determination. In response to this, Alok wrote again to the Department for Levelling Up, Housing & Communities to ask for a Call-In of the application.

This Committee took place on Wednesday 13 April and Alok once again voiced his continued concerns about the application. At the end of the debate, the Committee voted to refuse the application.

Alok said:

“I spoke at the West Berkshire Council District Planning Committee meeting yesterday evening opposing the Pincents Hill site application. I am delighted that the Committee rejected the application - a win for the thousands of local people who also objected to building on this strategic gap!”

21 January 2022
Sharma welcomes refusal of Pincents Hill development

Alok Sharma, Member of Parliament for Reading West, has welcomed the decision of West Berkshire Council’s Eastern Area Planning Committee to refuse a planning application for 165 dwellings on Pincents Hill.

Alok has been campaigning to protect the Pincents Hill site since before he was elected as the Member of Parliament for Reading West in 2010 and has always been supportive of retaining Pincents Hill as a community amenity.

In 2009, developer Blue Living submitted a formal planning application to build 750 new homes and commercial units on the Pincents Hill site. This was rejected following a campaign by the Save Calcot Action Group and local residents, which Alok supported. 

Subsequently, in 2014 agents acting for the owners of Pincents Hill put the site forward for inclusion in West Berkshire Council’s Housing Site Allocations Development Plan Document (DPD), suggesting that the site could take between 225 and 300 homes. Again, with the support of local residents and District Councillors, it was ensured that Pincents Hill was not included in the DPD.

However, in the summer of 2018, a fresh attempt was made to consider development on Pincents Hill by the site’s owner, U+I plc, which along with its advisor, TOWN.

In response to the proposals, Alok launched a residents’ survey in October 2018 to gauge local reaction to the plans. The survey was delivered to homes in the Pincents Hill area and Alok received over 700 responses. The results demonstrated a continued opposition to building on the site, with specific concerns including the timely availability of GP services and school places, congestion on local roads such as the A4 and the impact on the local environment.

In early 2019, U+I and TOWN submitted a planning application for the Pincents Hill site, application ref: 19/00113/OUTMAJ. Alok formally objected to this application and amended plans in February 2020, February 2021 and October 2021, and regularly wrote to the respondents of his survey to encourage local residents to formally register their views with West Berkshire Council as part of their consultation on the application. There was also a huge campaign headed by the Combined Save Pincents Hill and Save Calcot Action Groups, that worked tirelessly to spread the word about the application amongst local residents.

Subsequently, in December 2021, Alok wrote to the Rt Hon Michael Gove MP, Secretary of State for Levelling Up, Housing & Communities, to request a Call-In of the application because of local views that the granting of planning permission would be contrary to some of West Berkshire Council’s own planning policies, as well as the National Planning Policy Framework.

The planning application was then scheduled to be heard by West Berkshire Council’s Eastern Area Planning Committee on Wednesday 19 January. Alok spoke at the Committee, voicing his continued concerns about the application. Representatives from Tilehurst Parish Council, Holybrook Parish Council, and the Combined Save Pincents Hill and Save Calcot Action Group also spoke in opposition to the planning application, along with local residents and West Berkshire Councillors for Tilehurst Birch Copse ward, Jo Stewart and Tony Linden.

After 3 hours of discussion, members of West Berkshire Council’s Eastern Area Planning Committee unanimously voted to refuse the application. Alok has also received confirmation from the Department for Levelling Up, Housing & Communities that no further action needs to be taken in respect to the Call-In request, given that the planning application has been refused.

Alok Sharma said:

“I have been campaigning to protect the Pincents Hill since before I was elected as the Member of Parliament for Reading West in 2010 and I know just how much local people care about this site.”

Alok continued:

“I want to pay tribute to West Berkshire Councillors Jo Stewart and Tony Linden, the parish councils and all the local residents, especially the Chair of the combined Save Pincents Hill and Save Calcot Action Groups, Joan Lawrie, who have worked so hard and with such great determination to oppose this planning application. I am delighted that local voices were heard loud and clear – a clear victory for localism!”

The Save Pincents Hill Committee said:

“We are greatly relieved at the outcome and very grateful to all those people who supported the campaign to save the hill from development. A debt of gratitude to our MP who has been there for us over the past (now some 15 years even before his MP membership), we cannot begin to thank him and his staff enough for their help. The Eastern Area Planning Committee gave well-reasoned decision that at times the access to the proposed development would be constrained and the fact that at-the-moment this land still is a gap between settlements, they unanimously rejected the planning application.”

West Berkshire Councillor for Tilehurst Birch Copse ward, Jo Stewart said:

“Cllr Tony Linden and I are absolutely thrilled at the decision made by members of the Eastern Area Planning Committee on Wednesday night in refusing the application to build up to 165 dwellings on Pincents Hill. This is an amazing example of the community coming together to act against a proposed development they feel will impact adversely on the area in which they live and work, as well as a wonderful natural green space which improves their health and wellbeing. A stunning result.”

21 January 2019
Pincents Hill

As a new planning application is made by U+I plc to build 265 homes on Pincents Hill, Alok Sharma, Member of Parliament for Reading West, has today released the results from his residents’ survey about the proposed development on the Pincents Hill site which demonstrates that a large majority of local residents still oppose any development in the site.

History

In 2009, developer Blue Living submitted a formal planning application to build 750 new homes and commercial units on the Pincents Hill site. This was rejected following a campaign by the Save Calcot Action Group and local residents, which Alok supported. 

Subsequently, in 2014 agents acting for the owners of Pincents Hill put the site forward for inclusion in West Berkshire Council’s Housing Site Allocations Development Plan Document (DPD), suggesting that the site could take between 225 and 300 homes. Again, with the support of local residents and District Councillors, it was ensured that Pincents Hill was not included in the DPD.

However, during the summer of 2018, a fresh attempt was made to consider development on Pincents Hill by the site’s owner, U+I plc, which along with its advisor, TOWN, held a series of public exhibitions to explain their proposals for development on the site.

In response to the proposals, Alok launched a residents’ survey in October 2018 to gauge local reaction to the plans. The survey was delivered to homes in the Pincents Hill area and to date, Alok has received over 700 responses.

The majority of those who responded do not want to see this site developed due to concerns about the pressure it would put on local public services like schools, doctors’ surgeries, roads and the loss of public green space.

2019 planning application 

In January 2019, U+I plc and TOWN have formalised their plans to develop on Pincents Hill, as set out in planning application no 19/00113/OUTMAJ on the West Berkshire Council website www.westberks.gov.uk. As well as a plan to build 265 homes, the application also includes proposals to build a mixed use building which, according to the application, could be used to “provide a community healthcare hub”.

Alok Sharma said: “I am delighted that so many local residents have taken the trouble to complete and return my survey about development on the Pincents Hill site. This just goes to show how much local people care about this site.”

Alok continued: “The results of my survey clearly demonstrate that a very large majority of residents continue to object to any building on this valued green space. There are a range of strong objections to U+I plc and Town’s proposals and anyone who has any concerns about this planning application can register their views with West Berkshire Council by submitting comments, quoting planning application no 19/00113/OUTMAJ, via the Council’s online Public Access system, emailing planapps@westberks.gov.uk or writing to the Head of Development and Planning at Planning Policy, Planning and Countryside, West Berkshire Council, Market Street, Newbury, RG14 5LD. The deadline for comments to be received is Monday 11th February 2019.”

Summary of results of the survey

Over 700 returned questionnaires 

The survey questions asked were:

Q1: Looking at this afresh, for how many homes do you think the Pincents Hill site is suitable?

Q1 Answer: 63% of respondents think the Pincents Hill site unsuitable for any homes, with 8% of respondents thinking the site would be suitable for between 0-50 homes

Q2: Site owner U+I plc’s advisor, TOWN say they have undertaken analysis of education provision in the local area. Their research indicates that a development of 285 homes may lead to an additional 128 school-age children in the area. However, according to TOWN, due to the number of existing primary and secondary schools in the area with spaces available, a new school is not included within their proposals. Do you agree with TOWN’s conclusion?

Q2 Answer: 85% of respondents do not agree with TOWN’s conclusion not to include a new school in their proposal

Q3: TOWN say they have undertaken analysis of health provision in the local area. According to TOWN, a development of 285 homes would generate a demand equivalent to ¼ of a GP. TOWN have concluded that this demand is not sufficient in its own right to make a new GP surgery viable. Would you like to see formal provision of medical services as part of the proposals?

Q3 Answer: 84% of respondents would like to see formal provision of medical services as part of the proposals

Q4: TOWN have proposed that vehicle access will be restricted to a single point of access from the south of the site only (via the A4 Bath Road). Thinking about the impact on local traffic, do you support this proposal?

Q4 Answer: 75% of respondents do not support TOWN’s proposal to restrict vehicle access to a single point of access from the south of the site only (via the A4 Bath Road)

Q5. Under the proposals, 17 acres of the 43 acre site would be put aside by TOWN for a new public park. Do feel this is a sufficient proportion of the site for public green space?

Q5 Answer: 64% of respondents do not feel that 17 acres of the 43 acre site is a sufficient proportion of the site for public green space