Plans for more than 100 new houses in both Sydenham and Bishops Tachbrook set to go before committee

Orbit Homes and the Homes and Communities Agency (HCA) have jointly agreed the funding of 143 new energy-efficient properties on the site of the former Soans car dealership in Sydenham Drive.

Planning officers are recommending approval of the application.

If councillors agree, the seven acres of brownfield land will be developed with a range of homes from one-bedroom apartments to four-bedroom family properties, including bungalows for sale and rent.

Chris Jones, Orbit’s development director, said: “We know Sydenham very well and have planned the scheme to properly and sustainably integrate into the wider area with a range of ways for local people to rent or buy these new homes.

“We’ve worked with planners and the local community to come up with a scheme that does that while helping to address the massive shortfall in affordable housing in the district.”

Meanwhile at Bishops Tachbrook a Government planning inspector has rejected an appeal by Barwood Development Services after the district council refused the company permission to build 125 homes on land south of Mallory Road.

Inspector Neil Pope found that although the council could not demonstrate a five year housing land supply, that didn’t override all other considerations including the serious harm the development would have done to the adjacent Grade II listed barn conversion.

Mr Pope agreed with both the district and parish council’s rejection of the plans.

He said: “Instead of experiencing this designated asset from the open fields within the site, it would be glimpsed from a new housing estate.”