Planning appeal decision
Ashdown Farm, Maidenhead Road, Hurst, Berkshire, RG40 5RR
Planning appeal 3354144 at Ashdown Farm, Maidenhead Road, Hurst, Berkshire, RG40 5RR (Wokingham Borough Council) was dismissed on 22 April 2025 by Inspector Willis S, by written representations. The main issue, as the Inspector framed it: The effect of the proposed development on the character and appearance of the area.
erection of 1 no. dwelling and detached garage. Permission is also sought for the change of use of land from the keeping of horses to mixed use keeping of horses and residential
- Authority
- Wokingham Borough Council
- Appeal type
- minor · Planning Appeal
- Procedure
- Written Representations
- Development
- residential · Minor Dwellings
- Inspector
- Willis S
- Postcode
- RG40 5RR
Main issues, as the Inspector framed them
- The effect of the proposed development on the character and appearance of the area
- Whether the appeal site is an appropriate location for the proposed development with regard to the local development strategy and accessibility to services and facilities
What decided it
The significant harm to character and appearance and the moderate conflict with sustainable transport and development strategy policies substantially and demonstrably outweigh the small benefits of a single dwelling in an area with housing shortfall.
The adverse impacts of the development, comprising significant harm to character and appearance and moderate conflict with sustainable transport and development strategy, significantly and demonstrably outweigh the small benefits of housing supply and economic/social benefits from a single dwelling, such that the presumption in favour of sustainable development does not apply.
What the Inspector cited
- Development plan policies
- Policy CP1Policy CP2Policy CP3Policy CP6Policy CP11Policy CC02Policy CC03Policy TB21
- National Planning Policy Framework
- Paragraph 11
How the Inspector dealt with each one is set out in the app, in order: the development plan, national policy, housing land supply, other considerations and the planning balance, beside the letter.
See how each was appliedThe decision letter
Town Planner Pro holds this letter. The Appeals plan opens it and every other letter we hold, all of them searchable, with the main issues and what decided each case picked out. We do not show letters on the free site because they carry people’s names and addresses.
With an account
What an account adds to this decision


More decisions in Wokingham Borough Council
The authority’s record since 2016 · every decision in 2025
- Dismissed21 July 20266009352Brookfield Farm, Old Wokingham Road, Crowthorne, RG40 3BU
- Dismissed22 September 20253366261Land North of The Vale, Forest Road, Wokingham, RG40 5QY
- Dismissed22 July 20253359760Hucklebury, Waingels Road, Charvil, Wokingham, RG10 0UA
- Dismissed28 October 20243332084Land to Rear of The Bowers, Sandhurst Road, Wokingham, RG40 3JX
- Dismissed12 January 20233290780Land at Croft Road, Spencers Wood, WD3 4EH
The main issues, what decided it, the planning balance and the policies and judgments listed as cited are read from the published letter by Town Planner Pro and are our summary, not the Inspector’s words; the letter itself is the record. Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0. Research, not advice.
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