Site: HI06

Land North of Mount Road

THIS SITE IS NOT SUITABLE FOR CHANGE OF USE TO RESIDENTIAL DEVELOPMENT FOR THE FOLLOWING REASONS:

Accessibility and Transport factors:

1. Public transport is very poor, and any family dwelling would need parking for 2 or 3 vehicles.

2. There are no local shops or post office within Highclere

3. There is a distinct lack of community facilities.

4. There is no access to this land from Mount Road. The only entry is through the domestic gateway of Briarwood, Andover Road, This is a busy road, and a dangerous access point. It would be difficult to provide an entrance at either of the two locations where the meadows border Mount Road. In one location is Tubbs Lane junction, and in the other Pantings Lane junction, which is busy with traffic to Thorngrove School.

Environmental factors

1. Highclere has a high water table.

2. This land is the catchment for the watershed from the Mount, which is the higher area to the South. This feeds the streams that flow into the river Enbourne. The lower meadows are only dry for about four months of the year, and any development could bring winter flooding to the properties that border the Andover Road and possibly the road itself.

3. HI06 is wet meadowland, known as Wendover Fields, which has remained agriculturally unimproved, and supports quite exceptional meadow flora and fauna, last documented by HCC Biological Records department in 2000. There are wild orchids, cowslips, field scabious, marsh thistle and many other plants There are also adders and many other small mammals, amphibians and reptiles. Buzzards are prominent in the area and such meadows provide their hunting grounds. Green woodpeckers regularly forage the higher ground for ant's nests, and their nesting holes are visible in an oak tree bordering the footpath.

4. Sites HI06 and HI02 were originally the same meadowland, and the two sites are contiguous. HI06 is only separated by a public footpath and stock fencing, from the Milking Bridge meadows, a complex of ancient grazing meadows within Challis Copse. (See attached). Continuing North, the land becomes "The Chase" (N.T. land)

5. Up to this present year these meadows have been used to graze cattle and sheep during the summer months, as it is too wet in the winter! and at one time part of the area was used as a pig farm.

Landscape factors

1. The area is within the North Wessex Downs AONB. No significant change has occurred since the last local plan review

2. This site is an open area, which makes a particularly valuable contribution to the local landscape and character. Development of this land would be intrusive. A Public footpath going across the land allows recreational access to the countryside, and the impact of development would be significantly detrimental to this amenity, and the rural character of the village.

Built Environment and Heritage Features

1. Highclere is the gateway to the North Wessex Downs and the County's first Parish, when heading South from West Berkshire along the A343. It is an historic Parish and Highclere Castle attracts visitors from around the world, so it is important to also maintain the original vista and retain as many open spaces and "borrowed" landscapes as possible.

Socio-economic Factors

1. Local inhabitants recognise the importance of the tranquility of the lanes in forming footways to the official footpaths in the area. The use of these peaceful lanes are not only enjoyed by local residents walking dogs, horse riding and cycling etc but also form part of the network of footpath linkages with other parishes. Much of the sense of community derives from meeting along the lanes and footpaths.

2. Only a few people are employed locally and apart from home workers most people commute to Newbury or London. More houses mean more commuters and more cars, deterioration of the country lanes, and loss of hedges and rural vistas

3. Local schools are already at saturation point in neighbouring Woolton Hill and Burghclere. Local GP surgeries, in neighbouring villages, are under equal pressure.

Infrastructure costs and viability factors

1. It is doubtful that the roads could take the wear and tear of a major development during construction as well as the increase in general vehicle movements over future years

2. There would be immense cost in developing the infrastructure to support a residential change of use on this site. Drainage costs would be significant both financially and in disruption to the roads in the immediate vicinity. Enquiries should be made as to whether the pumping station at Milking Bridge can cope with any increased capacity. .

3. Sewerage and drainage in the meadows has been a problem in the recent past.