Council's 'restrictive' development rules probed as 230 Twyford homes approved

A plan for 230 homes in Twyford has been approved by a planning inspector who has scrutinised Wokingham Borough Council’s ‘restrictive’ development rules.

David Wilson Homes Southern Ltd was refused permission for the homes, planned on land by A4 New Bath Road and near the A4/A321 roundabout, in June last year.

The plans have seen a swathe of objections since being submitted in 2022 and in late 2024 a week-long public inquiry thrashed out concerns over it.

In its June decision notice, Wokingham council said the mix of one-bed apartments and up to four-bed family homes would be ‘inappropriate unplanned development’.

The council criticised a lack of affordable housing; problems ensuring job opportunities for people living at the site; and issues with ‘sustainable travel’.

It claimed approving the 230 homes could create an ‘enclave of development’ due to a lack of walking and cycling links to Twyford.

“This physical disconnection would isolate future residents from accessing community facilities and reduce opportunities for social interaction,” the council’s decision notice said.  

However, David Wilson Homes Southern Ltd challenged the council’s decision through the Planning Inspectorate – a government agency that oversees planning appeals.

The developer said Wokingham council was ‘constraining the growth of Twyford’ and its actions ‘potentially create a significant risk to the ongoing viability of the settlement’.

It said the council’s development plan had prioritised new housing builds in the county’s south which had contributed to a 61 per cent house price increase in Twyford over the last 10 years.

Twyford railway station’s Elizabeth line connection showed the site had good access to employment that the council had ‘failed in any way’ to consider, the developer said. 

“The council has not justified its dismissal of this clear opportunity and it must revisit its justification for continuing to constrain the growth of Twyford,” the developer’s statement of case on the appeal said.

In a decision published this month, the planning inspector has overruled Wokingham Borough Council and given the 230 homes the go-ahead.  

The site’s links to ‘excellent’ train and bus services showed it was an ‘appropriate sustainable location for residential development, the inspector considered.

Existing walking and cycling routes near the development would be enhanced during construction, and further enhanced by the Bridge Farm development.

Bridge Farm is a near 200 home scheme by developer Croudace being built on the southern side of A4 New Bath Road in Twyford.  

The inspector said David Wilson Homes’ plan was in conflict with Wokingham council’s local plan but the appeal presumed ‘in favour of sustainable development’.

“On my reading, these [council] policies present a more restrictive approach to development outside of defined development limits than the [national building policy] framework,” the inspector said.

The inspector said, ‘there would be no adverse impacts which would significantly and demonstrably outweigh the benefits of granting planning permission’.

The development was approved along with a string of 45 conditions including ensuring improved water efficiency at each home; and that ‘odour mitigation measures’ be agreed with Thames Water.