Plan to convert offices to flats at former RAF barracks

A former RAF barracks in White Waltham is the subject of fresh housing plans.

Sorbon Estates, part of the Shanly Group, secured outline planning permission for controversial proposals to build 79 homes at Grove Park Industrial Estate in November.

The plans faced opposition from residents in the White Waltham area due to concerns over office buildings being demolished to make way for housing.

But members of the Royal Borough Development Management Panel granted outline planning permission due to the proposals favouring houses over flats.

Sorbon Estates has now submitted a raft of new plans to the council which seek to covert a number of offices on the industrial site into blocks of flats via ‘change of use’ applications.

The plans could see the Maple Court converted into a block of 14 flats, Oakwood offices converted into 10 flats over two storeys and the Beechwood office building converted into 15 properties ranging from studios to two-bed apartments.

A number of applications have also been submitted to convert smaller office buildings into one and two-bed homes across the site.

The Advertiser understands that, if approved, Sorbon Estates could choose whether to progress its latest scheme or the outline proposals which were approved in November.

White Waltham resident Christopher Hobbs said: “A development of this size and shape is going to swamp the village with new people.

“We’ve been adding in the odd house here and there in a reasonable way and there are about 110 houses in the village, most of which have been here for one, two, three centuries.”

He also raised concerns over the roads being able to cope with the influx of new cars and questioned where companies on the industrial estate will relocate to if the plans get the go ahead.

A spokeswoman for Sorbon Estates said it was too premature to comment on the latest applications when contacted by the Advertiser.