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!”