CONTROVERSIAL plans to build homes on greenbelt land has divided councillors as part of an ‘urgent’ college plea to fix its listed buildings.

Berkshire College of Agriculture (BCA) has tabled its plans to build 26 homes on the 2.3-hectare land owned by the estate next to Honey Lane.

The outline plans on the access, layout, and scale were heard at a Maidenhead development management panel as 20 four-beds and six two-bed homes are proposed. The six two-beds will be affordable dwellings.

Planning officers recommended councillors should approve the scheme.

READ MORE: Berkshire college's 26 family homes plan could be approved

But the plans have proven to be controversial to environmental activists and residents where nearly 115 objections have been lodged since it was submitted.

The room at the council chamber was packed with a mix of objectors and supporters to the scheme.

According to the planning report, this development would enable BCA to raise funds for “urgent and essential” repairs to the estate’s heritage assets, such as the Grade I listed Hall Place, where it is approaching “beyond the stage” or “reasonable” repair, totalling up to nearly £5.5m.

Some of the repairs include holes and cracks in the ceilings and walls in some of the listed buildings, which range to Grade II listed.

Berkshire College of Agriculture

Berkshire College of Agriculture

Speaking at the meeting on Wednesday, October 20, BCA’S vice-principal Anne Entwistle said they have “explored and exhausted all avenues” in ways to raise the funds to fil the “colossal” costs in maintaining the estate’s heritage assets.

She said: “There is simply no money within our budget to do so. Any money we have is and should be spent solely on educating our students.”

Planning officers confirmed BCA have explored ‘all avenues’, such as grants that have been refused or not sufficient to cover its costs. Independent surveyors confirmed BCA will need to spend almost £5.5m to restore the historic buildings.

Speaking on behalf of angry residents, Martin Cook, urged councillors not to approve the scheme, citing the greenbelt harm does not outweigh the housing need and feared the single, narrow Honey Lane is not suited to have an increase in traffic and could ‘endanger’ dog walkers, hikers, and horse riders who use it.

The narrow Honey Lane that will lead to the access of the site

The narrow Honey Lane that will lead to the access of the site

Mr Cook also said the area is “not sustainable” to take more people as there aren’t any bus services and GP surgeries near the developed site.

He said: “The local area should not be punished for the failures of the BCA. It’s time to make a judgement, do we pay bricks and mortar debt to the past or do we pay a legacy future for the environment?

“I promise to you tonight that we should protect the environment and not build more houses on greenbelt land.”

Meanwhile, Hurley councillor Andrew Johnson said he was “unconvinced” that this development is appropriate for the greenbelt.

While planning officers acknowledged this would cause harm to the greenbelt, they believe the housing supply and the affordable homes create a ‘very special circumstance’ to outweigh this impact.

Councillors were “torn” on the plans, believing the development would protect BCA’s listed buildings as well as deliver much-needed family homes – but turned off with it being built on greenbelt and were concerned with the increase in traffic.

Layout of the housing scheme

Layout of the housing scheme

It was heard Honey Lane will be widened in the vicinity of the new access to the developed site. Highway officers predict the worst-case scenario in vehicle movements would be 118 two-way daily trips, 14 in the morning and 13 in the evening, and don’t consider to have a ‘severe’ impact on the local highway.

Independent Cllr Geoff Hill (Oldfield) said he would have attacked this scheme “all guns blazing” but the college’s “dire financial problems” and the borough’s need for family housing forced him to reconsider his stance.

He said: “When you take that all into account up against to the damage to the greenbelt and loss of agricultural land, it becomes quite hard to argue against the officer’s recommendation.”

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Cllr Hill, who proposed approval and was seconded by Cllr Joshua Reynolds (Lib Dem: Furze Platt), also feared rejecting this scheme could result in the college’s financial troubles forcing them out, leaving the estate with a collection of “decaying” heritage buildings that could be bulldozed for a major housing scheme.

To the developer’s delight but campaigner’s dismay, a majority of councillors ultimately approved the outline scheme on Wednesday, October 20.

The plans have been delegated to the head of planning to grant permission subject to the developer’s completion to secure the money raised from the development to be used to complete works on the BCA’s heritage assets.