New house in Pangbourne could be built on open countryside and would be at risk of floods

Applicants Mr and Mrs Bond want to build a three-bed house on the land next to the Moors in Pangbourne. 

But Donna Toms, planning officer at West Berkshire Council, wants to refuse planning permission, because of its location and flood risk. 

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The site has flooded in the past, and a previous application for a house on the same site was refused in December 2016. 

Pangbourne Parish Council do not object to the plans, but want the building to be 21 metres from its nearest neighbour.

Mr Toms, in a report to the council’s eastern area planning committee, said: “Inappropriate development in areas at risk of flooding should be avoided by directing development away from areas at highest risk.

“The proposed [house] … will be clearly seen from all travelling south along the public right of way. With the loss of the open space, it is considered that it would fail to respect the character and appearance of the area.” 

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Others are happy to welcome the development including neighbours Philip and Jill Hawkins support the application. In a letter to the council, they said: “Not only does the design fit well within the variety of properties in the Moors, but the plot is surrounded on four sides and therefore would not encourage development beyond the village boundary.”

Councillors on the planning committee will consider the application at a public meeting on November 20, when they will decide whether to grant or refuse planning permission.