Four Houses Corner planning permission update

Plans to redevelop a traveller site in Ufton Nervet to provide modern, fit-for-purpose facilities, have been approved at Eastern Area Planning Committee (EAPC) on 6 March. 

Final permission for the Four Houses Corner site is not in place until it is confirmed the Secretary of State (SoS) will not call-in the proposals. Referral to the Secretary of State for potential call-in has been made by private request.

Redeveloping the site will ensure West Berkshire Council is able to meet its obligations to provide accommodation for Gypsies and Travellers and will also provide increased flexibility to address broader housing needs and obligations, based on future demand.

Approval by EAPC follows detailed work by the Council to prepare proposals for a site which had been in use for more than 40 years but had fallen into a state of disrepair. Subject to the SoS's decision, plans will deliver 17 pitches consisting of individual dayroom accommodation with individual caravan hard standings. In producing these plans, residents were invited to have their say via public consultations outside of the statutory process and all views have been fully recorded. In addition, partner agencies were engaged before and during the planning process.

Should there be no call-in from the SoS, work on the site, which is currently vacant, is expected to begin in May and finish early in 2025.

Speaking about the plans, Councillor Denise Gaines, Executive Member for Housing at West Berkshire Council, said:

"This is an important site for us to deliver much-needed traveller accommodation and ensure we meet our legal obligations.

"Living in a largely rural district, it is difficult to find suitable land for travellers and in this respect Four Houses Corner is an important site for us. I'm pleased that EAPC has approved proposals and that, subject to the SoS, we can move ahead to deliver these improvements.

"We are, of course, acutely aware of the history of the site and have heard the concerns raised through the planning process.  So long as proposals meet best practice and policy, we effectively had no choice but to redevelop the site as suitable alternative sites do not exist.  We will continue to keep the local community updated about our plans and to provide reassurance about how we will be managing the site in the future.

"We see this as an opportunity to re-set relations and despite the tragic past, deliver and manage a site as an exemplar of what a traveller site can be."

Part of the process will include looking to partner with a specialist Gypsy and Traveller company to implement a robust site management service. Strong management and intensive support will reap long term rewards with happier residents and traveller sites that are well looked after, therefore improving the perception of the travelling community in the eyes of the 'settled community'.