A huge new Natural History Museum facility in Shinfield has been allowed to go ahead – despite the fact it will be built on countryside land.

Wokingham Borough Council’s planning committee voted to approve permission to build the facility and a new road to serve it at Thames Valley Science Park, on Wednesday March 13.

But one local resident, Dave Green, asked why the building should be allowed on land the council’s own policies say should be protected from development. He cast doubt on claims that the benefits of the scheme outweighed the potential harm to the countryside.

Mr Green said: “Somewhat dubious arguments are used to justify setting aside the planning protections on the site.”

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He asked what the point of planning policies supposed to protect the countryside are ‘if the planning authority rolls over and permits these plans to be effectively ignored when faced by a high-profile developer like the Natural History Museum’

But people speaking for the museum said the plans would protect the countryside as much as possible.

A newly-released video of what the building might look like shows it surrounded by open green fields, while a press statement described it as ‘nestled in woodland.’

Planning agent Phil Brown told councillors that the route of the road was ‘carefully chosen to minimise its impacts on existing habitats, landscape features and local views.’

And Tim Littlewood, executive director of science at the museum, emphasised the importance of preserving its collections and of the jobs it could bring to the borough.

The building will act as storage around a third of the Natural History Museum’s collection, as well as contain “cutting edge laboratories” for its scientists.

He said: “Although the development does not strictly comply with the local plan countryside policies in terms of planning balance any adverse impacts on the countryside are outweighed by the economic, social and sustainable benefits this facility would deliver. “

Council planning officers agreed. They recommended that the councillors on the committee vote to approve the road and the building.

Planning officer Christopher Howard noted the council is currently updating its planning policy, and that new applications need to be considered ‘on their merits.’

He said: “In this case we felt given the significant benefits that will be delivered by the facility.”

Councillors on the committee voted unanimously to approve both applications. One councillor, Alistair Neal, said the museum had already answered many of their questions in discussions before the meeting.

He said: “We’ve had presentations from the Natural History Museum and we have had a lot of questions answered at those preliminary meetings and this report is the result of that. So that might be why it seems that we’re not asking many questions over such a big project.”