Residents back housing at ‘eyesore’ garden centre

PLANS for 19 homes in Hare Hatch have been supported by about 30 villagers.

In September, Westbourne Homes submitted an application to re-develop land at Ladds Garden Village, off Bath Road.

The houses would be built following the demolition of the existing buildings on site, which is more than three acres.

The land sits within the designated green belt but is considered as previously developed land.

A design and access statement by Arktec said the development would comprise a mixture of 15 detached and semi-detached houses and four apartments with traditional pitched roofs.

It says the proposal is a “low development density” in keeping with the surrounding area and would have no adverse effect on neighbouring properties.

Parish councillors in Wargrave  raised no objections at their planning meeting on Tuesday.

Councillor Graham Howe said: “The council is very sympathetic to the development because the hardstanding area will be reduced and become garden and other greenery and the size of the buildings will be no bigger than the existing ones.”

Residents have written in support of the application as it would have a “lower impact” on the green belt than the current buildings on site, which some described as an “eyesore”.

Eddy Marchant, of Beverley Gardens, said: “We have lived in the parish our whole lives and always loved the village feel but this old site has always seemed disconnected and overused.

“There are two much larger and more commercially successful garden centres within a mile of the site.

“The proposed design looks sympathetic to the area and respectful of the site’s surroundings without any impact on neighbours. The landscaping plans will really soften and enhance the whole stretch of the A4.”

Terry Platt, of Victoria Road, praised the design of the houses and location suitability. He said: “The retail nursery is no longer viable.

“I consider housing to be a preferable alternative to other options such as retail, industrial or office uses.

“The houses are set well back from the Bath Road frontage.

“The large area of paving spanning the front of the site will be returned to green space with ample opportunities for tree and shrub planting.

“Dwellings within the neighbourhood have great variations of ridge height and I do not considered the height proposed to be out of character.”

Lucy Thorne, of Langhams Way, said: “Westbourne creates high quality homes and will improve the view from the A4.

“More family houses are required in the area and the local school needs more pupils for the infant and junior school.

“The current use of the site is not working for the area and there is high competition of garden centres along the A4.”

However, Charles Seagrim, of The Holt in Hare Hatch, raised concerns that the build would undermine the area’s historical character.

He said: “Hare Hatch boasts a heritage more than a millennium old.

“The proposal’s rigid rows of houses, divided by picket fences, conflict with this character, exceeding the garden centre’s original bulk and density.

“Once home to a falconry, fish shop and community businesses, the site was repurposed during covid for a superfluous high-end garden outlet amid four nearby competitors.

“These structures may endure for many centuries, defining Hare Hatch’s future and future developments. Any development must exemplify quality to enrich, not erode our heritage.”

Wokingham Borough Council, the planning authority, will make a final decision in due course.