'Blot' fears voiced over school site redevelopment

11:40am Monday 4th August 2008

CONCERN is mounting over a new town-centre development which it is feared could become a 'blot on Wantage'.

Housebuilders Berkeley Homes have demolished the buildings on the former St Mary's School site in Newbury Street in preparation to build houses and flats.

But town councillors objected to a move by planners at the Vale of White Horse District Council who last month approved an application for another seven homes on the site.

The total number of houses and flats to be built on the eight-acre site has now gone up to 237, including 95 affordable homes. The chapel and adjacent buildings on the site, which are listed, will be retained along with St Gabriel's House.

Wantage Town Council had strongly objected to the move, saying it increased the density of the development and the plans showed a lack of car parking facilities. Town mayor Patrick O'Leary said: "To squeeze in more and more houses is wrong, it doesn't bode well at all. Our concern is the quality of the houses. We have to have more housing and we need more affordable housing, but what is important is they are quality homes for the future."

He said: "Parking is going to be a real issue on the site. Cars parked up on verges just makes any development look untidy.

"It seems that it could be a potential blot on Wantage. Our concern is that when you have more and more people in a smaller and smaller area it could cause social problems.

"We want to make sure a quality development is left behind and the best legacy for the people of Wantage."

Town and district councillor Jenny Hannaby was worried about the added pressure on the road network around Wantage and access for waste collection vehicles. She said: "I had high hopes for this development and now I have grave concerns."

Andrew Saunders-Davies, chairman of Berkeley Homes, said the development was of a high quality.

He said: "I don't agree the site is too dense. The planning committee supported the application by approving it. I don't envisage any problems with car parking or rubbish collection.

"In the amendment, the size of the houses was reduced from four-bedroom houses to smaller three-bedroom houses."

He said: "We have finished the demolition and we are now digging the foundations on the main St Mary's site."

The development is expected to take three years to complete.

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