Sufficient objections have now been lodged over plans to create a homelessness hostel to trigger a ‘call in’.
Residents are up in arms over plans to create a refuge for the district’s transient homeless in the former Chestnut Walk Care Home in Hungerford.
At a recent meeting of the town council’s environment and planning committee it was noted that the threshold – 10 objections – had almost been met to trigger a call in to West Berkshire Council’s western area planning committee.
Since then, the threshold has been met.
Town councillors fear the project could increase ‘county lines’ drug dealing and antisocial behaviour at a time when the police station has been closed and the town is due to lose its dedicated sergeant role.
The latest letter of objection states: “The proposed conversion will introduce a level of all-hours activity, movement, and change that cannot be absorbed without destroying the residential amenity of the area.
“I believe this application represents an gross overdevelopment and a fundamentally flawed site selection.
“The devastating negative impacts on our residential amenity, the safety and security of the area, and critically, the lack of credible management of a highly transient population are unacceptable.
“I urge the council to refuse this application.”
In 2016, Chestnut Walk care home in Coldharbour Road was forced to close after falling victim to West Berkshire Council’s far-reaching cuts to public services.
Then, in 2019, West Berkshire Council announced the site would be redeveloped under a new joint project with Sovereign Housing to build “much-needed new homes”.
It never happened.
The application can be viewed in full, and commented on, by visiting the planning section of West Berkshire Council’s website and using the reference 26/00555/REG3.
* For more planning applications across West Berkshire, you can visit the Public Notice Portal at publicnoticeportal.co.uk
