I’ve created this page as a West Berkshire ward councillor to explain the cross-boundary planning context, share verified sources, and signpost official information. The emerging Local Plan and any housing allocation are led by Basingstoke & Deane Borough Council and are subject to independent examination.

Proposed Housing at West End Farm, Mortimer West End

Information, background and answers to common questions

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Indicative location of the proposed 350 homes (as shown in B&DBC’s draft plan)

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Parish working group evidence will be linked here once publicly released.

Background

Basingstoke & Deane Borough Council (BDBC) has identified land at West End Farm, Mortimer West End as a potential site for around 350 homes in its Local Plan Update (2024–2042). The site sits immediately beside Mortimer (West Berkshire) and would function as a large extension of it. This page brings together information, maps and answers to common questions about the proposal and planning process.

Have your say – what happens next?

The Basingstoke & Deane Cabinet meeting on 11 November 2025 agreed to publish the draft Local Plan Update for formal Regulation 18 consultation. The consultation is expected to open shortly and will run for eight weeks.

You can contact councillors with views at any time. However, if you want to make a formal representation on the draft plan, the most effective moment is after the Regulation 18 consultation opens, so that Basingstoke & Deane formally register it.

In the meantime, you can:

  • Read background documents in the Resources section below.
  • Look through the Frequently Asked Questions for evidence-based planning points.
  • Draft ideas or notes for your response ahead of the consultation period starting.
  • Share early thoughts with me, other councillors or parish councils, if helpful — and feel free to copy me into any correspondence: [email protected].

A parish working group, led by Stratfield Mortimer Parish Council, is preparing additional evidence and guidance. When it is published, it will be added here and signposted in the News & Updates section.

When the Regulation 18 consultation opens:

  • The link to B&DBC’s formal consultation portal will be added here.
  • Public drop-in events, including one in Mortimer, will allow you to ask questions in person.
  • You may find it helpful to refer to the relevant FAQs when framing your comments — for example on infrastructure, character, density, emergency planning or reasonable alternatives.

Petition progress

Launched on 9 Oct. Stretch target set based on population.

750 / 3,000 signatures

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News & Updates

 
    21 Nov 2025    

Regulation 18 consultation to open on 28 November

 
 

    Basingstoke & Deane Borough Council has announced that its     Regulation 18 consultation on the draft Local Plan Update     — including the proposed 350 homes at West End Farm, Mortimer West End —     will open on Friday 28 November 2025.  

 

    The consultation will run for eight weeks until Friday 23 January 2026.     When it opens, B&DBC will publish full documents and the link to their online     consultation portal, where residents can read the draft plan and submit formal comments.  

 

    B&DBC have also indicated they will hold in-person drop-in events in January,     with dates and venues to be confirmed when the consultation launches.  

 

    You do not need to submit comments before 28 November.     Any representations must be made through the official consultation portal once it opens.  

 

    I will update this page again as soon as the consultation link is live and the January event     details are published.  

11 Nov 2025

Cabinet hears representations and agrees to consult on draft Local Plan

On 11 November 2025, Basingstoke & Deane’s Cabinet considered whether to publish its draft Local Plan Update (including the West End Farm site) for formal Regulation 18 consultation. The meeting heard representations from residents, Basingstoke & Deane councillors and me as a West Berkshire councillor.

After debate, the Cabinet agreed to put the draft plan out for consultation. That consultation is expected to open this month and run for eight weeks, with drop-in event(s) in Mortimer. You can still sign the petition (which I intend to re-submit at Regulation 18) and read the background information referenced on this page. If you wish to make a formal representation, it is usually best to do so once the Regulation 18 consultation opens, via the official consultation route so that your response is logged formally.

Cllr Nick Carter’s statement (11 Nov 2025) – example of structure and issues: PDF

Watch key sections from the meeting:

  • Discussion starts — timestamp
  • Mortimer petition & my representation — timestamp
  • Cllr Konieczko’s response to representations — timestamp
25 Oct 2025

Parish meeting

The parish council held a public meeting to discuss the topic. Over 250 residents attended. I couldn't make it, so submitted in a statement which was read out. The minutes are HERE (PDF). My statement is here: Cllr Nick’s statement (PDF).

Oct 2025

Introduction and background

Why the West End Farm site has appeared in Basingstoke & Deane’s Local Plan Update and what it could mean for Mortimer West End and Mortimer. Read the full article ↗

Resources

Important: The letter linked below was submitted early in the process and is shared only as an example of structure, tone and planning themes — it is not a recommended template for Regulation 18 responses.

Planning evidence is still evolving and a parish working-group toolkit is expected shortly. For the best-informed response, you may wish to draft now but consider finalising your representation after reviewing:

  • the official Regulation 18 consultation documents
  • the parish evidence pack / toolkit (linked here once published)
  • answers gained from B&DBC drop-in events

Please use your own words — individually written representations are far more persuasive than copied or standardised letters.

Frequently Asked Questions

1) What is a Local Plan and what does it do?

A Local Plan sets out how much development an area needs and where it should go over a 15-year period. It identifies housing sites, infrastructure, and environmental protections, and guides future planning decisions.

2) Are 350 homes definitely being built in Mortimer West End?

No. The land is only a candidate site in BDBC’s draft Local Plan. It has no planning permission. It will first go through a Regulation 18 consultation and must be tested against evidence on environment, infrastructure, transport and deliverability before any decision is made.

3) Is there enough infrastructure for 350 new homes and, assuming not, who pays to improve it?

These are the key questions the Local Plan process must answer. Before any housing allocation can be confirmed, Basingstoke & Deane Borough Council (BDBC) must work with:

  • Hampshire County Council – schools, highways and transport
  • NHS Integrated Care Board – GP and health services
  • Utility companies – drainage, water and energy

Together they assess whether and how local infrastructure can support the proposed housing level — particularly its impact on school capacity, GP services, road access, public transport and drainage. BDBC’s evidence base must demonstrate that these needs can be met and funded before a site is allocated.

Infrastructure is normally funded through Community Infrastructure Levy (CIL) and Section 106 (S106) agreements with the developer:

  • CIL is a general charge on new floorspace collected by the charging authority (here, BDBC). A portion goes to parishes within BDBC, but it does not automatically flow to West Berkshire because the houses would be in Hampshire.
  • S106 is site-specific and can fund mitigation where directly justified — e.g., junction improvements or contributions to school or health capacity. Cross-boundary impacts are handled through engagement and Statements of Common Ground.

If Mortimer GP Surgery cannot absorb additional patients, any expansion or new provision would have to be led by the NHS Integrated Care Board and the practice with evidence of need. S106 funds could contribute if justified, but CIL spending is at BDBC’s discretion within its area.

👉 Use this when objecting on infrastructure deliverability and funding (schools, GP capacity, access, drainage).

4) Which schools would children likely attend, and is transport funded? ...
5) How many homes does the Government say ...

Councils start with the Government’s standard method for local housing need — a starting point, not a fixed target. The final housing requirement should reflect deliverability, infrastructure capacity and environmental limits.

5a) Do the overall housing numbers require using the Mortimer West End site?

Not necessarily. The Government’s standard method sets a minimum local housing need, not a fixed building target. Councils typically put forward a pool of sites larger than the minimum to allow for flexibility (non-delivery, infrastructure phasing, environmental limits). Which sites make the final plan is a policy choice that must be justified by evidence and pass the Inspector’s soundness tests.

When we say “less suitable” or “harmful”, we mean demonstrable issues such as: landscape/heritage effects, ecology (including protected sites/species), flood risk and drainage, highway safety and network capacity, health/education/service capacity, air/noise, emergency planning, deliverability/viability, and whether reasonable alternatives perform better in the Sustainability Appraisal.

How could an Inspector conclude this site is not needed?

  • (a) No allocation needed here: Evidence shows BDBC’s overall requirement can be met without this site (e.g., other sites are more suitable/deliverable; the Sustainability Appraisal shows reasonable alternatives with fewer impacts; infrastructure constraints here are not realistically solvable in the plan period). In that scenario, the allocation can be deleted without undermining the plan’s housing trajectory.
  • (b) A smaller allocation is justified: The site is retained at a reduced capacity because landscape, access, emergency-planning or infrastructure evidence supports a lower, more “village-edge” scale with stronger design/green-gap measures. The Inspector may ask for policy wording that limits numbers, phases delivery, or requires specific mitigation before later phases.

What about Traveller pitches if the housing changes?

  • If the allocation is removed, BDBC still must meet any Gypsy & Traveller need identified by its GTAA. That can be done by: modest extensions to existing authorised sites, placing pitches with other large housing allocations that are better served by roads and services, or (if justified) a small standalone site elsewhere.
  • If the allocation is reduced, pitches might still be included—but residents can seek a cap, stronger design/screening, and tests of whether co-location would be more proportionate at other strategic sites with higher service accessibility.

👉 Use this when objecting on reasonable alternatives and soundness—ask BDBC to select less impactful, better-served sites if the candidate pool allows and evidence supports it.

6) Who decides whether the site goes ahead?

BDBC Full Council, advised by planning officers and an independent Planning Inspector, decides which sites appear in the final Local Plan. Any allocated site would still need a planning application with its own consultation and decision.

7) Is the site in West Berkshire or Hampshire?

The site is in Hampshire, within Mortimer West End Parish, bordering Stratfield Mortimer (West Berkshire). Although the homes would adjoin Mortimer, planning and most services fall under BDBC and Hampshire County Council.

8) What can residents do – and when should they do it?

See Have your say – what happens next? for the up-to-date steps (email contacts, petition links, parish meeting info, and how to respond at Regulation 18).

Latest: petition presented; draft Plan moving to consultation. See updates below and News.

9) Who should I contact or copy in?

To comment or object: please use the steps under Have your say – what happens next? (that section is kept up to date for the Regulation 18 consultation).

For process queries or to share your thoughts:

10) I heard the Mortimer dentist has been offered land for a new practice — will that solve the problem?

It could help private access, but not necessarily NHS capacity. NHS dentistry depends on commissioned contracts; a larger private practice does not automatically expand NHS places.

👉 Use this when objecting on health capacity evidence (NHS commissioning and practice capacity must be demonstrated).

11) Why is Basingstoke & Deane planning for so many homes? Could the Council have avoided these higher numbers if it had updated its plan sooner?

The number starts with the Government’s standard method for local housing need — a starting point, not a fixed target. Where a Local Plan is out of date, the new plan must use the latest method, which often gives higher numbers.

BDBC’s 2016 Local Plan is out of date, so it must use the newer method — higher due to affordability and population data. Many ask whether faster progress could have locked in a lower figure, as West Berkshire did. The final requirement will be tested by an independent Inspector who may support a lower number if limits justify it.

See also Regulation 18 consultation and Regulation 19 consultation.

12) How might the Policy Alignment Test and the Stratfield Mortimer Neighbourhood Plan influence this proposal?

The old legal Duty to Co-operate has been replaced in the NPPF by a Policy Alignment Test. BDBC and West Berkshire are still expected to engage constructively across the boundary, agree evidence, and set out how cross-boundary impacts are managed (typically via Statements of Common Ground).

While BDBC is not obliged to copy detailed policies from the Stratfield Mortimer Neighbourhood Plan (e.g., mix, height, density), the NPPF expects context-sensitive design and gentle edge transitions. A refreshed Neighbourhood Plan and/or a simple design code can therefore be influential if they are:

  • evidence-based (landscape/heritage/setting, transport, drainage, local character),
  • specific but reasonable (edge treatments, building heights, block layout principles, green gaps, active travel links), and
  • presented through the Reg 18/19 process and discussed for inclusion in a Statement of Common Ground and site-specific policy wording.

Bottom line: a coordinated parish position (both sides of the border), backed by design-led, proportionate evidence, can shape any allocation’s form and phasing—even if it cannot veto it outright.

13) Do national housing-need figures mean BDBC must allocate the Mortimer West End site?

No. The Government’s “standard method” sets a minimum housing need; it is not a fixed building target. As noted in FAQ 5, the final requirement is tested against constraints and deliverability.

Current BDBC candidate sites reportedly exceed the minimum need to allow for flexibility (non-delivery, infrastructure phasing, and cross-boundary adjustments under the Policy Alignment Test). That means inclusion of this site is a choice that must be justified—not an unavoidable obligation.

14) Is the site affected by AWE emergency planning zones (DEPZ) that could stop development?

The land at West End Farm lies outside the formal Detailed Emergency Planning Zones (DEPZs) set by the Office for Nuclear Regulation (ONR) for AWE Burghfield and AWE Aldermaston. The DEPZ is a single national boundary that spans local authority areas (WBC and BDBC do not have different DEPZs).

Although the houses lie outside the DEPZ so ONR may not automatically object, the DEPZ can change over time and local mapping indicates the site lies within Outline Planning Zones (OPZs). Any proposal here would still need to satisfy emergency-planning considerations — such as evacuation routes, access for emergency services, and public-information duties. Given the scale of the proposed housing, this remains an important issue to raise in any objection or consultation response. The ONR and emergency-planning authorities will be consulted formally if the site progresses further.

15) Would all 350 houses actually fit — and would they be in keeping with Mortimer?

The proposed 350 homes would occupy roughly the full West End Farm site area. That equates to around 30–35 dph (dwellings per hectare), higher than the 20–25 dph acceptable densities that the Mortimer Neighbourhood Plan might identify as typical of the village’s edges and “gentle transition zones.” Older parts of Mortimer average nearer 15–20 dph, while newer infill estates reach 27–30 dph but are described as “more suburban in feel.”

Illustrative comparison: Mortimer character densities vs West End Farm scenario
Comparison of typical Mortimer character densities and the West End Farm 350-home scenario. dph = dwellings per hectare.

On a developable area of roughly 10–11 hectares, the relationship between density and housing numbers is approximately:

  • 15 dph – 150–165 homes (rural-edge character);
  • 20 dph – 200–220 homes (village-edge pattern);
  • 25 dph – 250–275 homes (balanced, mixed layout);
  • 30 dph – 300–330 homes (suburban/estate character);
  • 35 dph – 350–385 homes (urban edge scale).

A layout closer to 20–25 dph would better reflect Mortimer’s prevailing pattern, still allowing a mix of 2-, 3- and 4-bed homes, affordable housing and about 5 % self-build plots (as mentioned in BDBC’s draft plan), while providing a softer visual and landscape transition to the countryside.

👉 Use this when objecting on character, scale and design-fit grounds — it demonstrates that a full 350-home scheme would exceed typical village-edge density and alter local character.

16) What’s the situation with Traveller (Gypsy & Traveller) sites — and why suggest one here?

BDBC’s Local Plan Update includes provision for Gypsy & Traveller pitches across the borough. National policy expects councils to plan for an identified need, usually set by a Gypsy & Traveller Accommodation Assessment (GTAA). Pitches can be provided on small dedicated sites, as extensions to existing authorised ones, or occasionally co-located with larger housing sites to encourage integration.

At this early stage, BDBC has indicated that the West End Farm allocation could include some Traveller provision, but no confirmed number of pitches has yet been published. The final location and scale will depend on the GTAA and supporting evidence.

National planning guidance emphasises that new sites should be well-located for services, have safe access, and promote good relations with local communities. Equally, they should avoid areas with unsuitable access, flood risk or poor integration.

If you wish to comment or object, as with all other aspects, you're advised to focus on planning grounds: consider asking BDBC to publish the GTAA and site-selection evidence; explain why this site is considered preferable to modest extensions of existing sites; and test co-location at other strategic housing allocations closer to services or higher-capacity roads. Comments are best to made respectfully and considering location, access, design, screening, proportionality and integration.

👉 Use this when objecting on site selection and proportionality grounds (request publication of GTAA evidence and comparison of alternatives).

How does the nearby West Berkshire site factor in? West Berkshire’s provision does not discharge BDBC’s duty to meet its own need. However, when BDBC selects locations, it should consider distribution and cumulative impact—i.e., avoiding over-concentration in one locality, ensuring proportional access to services, and maintaining good relations through well-designed, integrated sites. These are planning-merit points residents can raise respectfully, focusing on location, access, design and proportionality—not on people.

Questions missing? Email Cllr Nick Carter.

Objection toolkit

Before starting: The points below are intended to help you understand planning issues and structure your thinking. They are not a template and should not be copied as a standard letter.

A parish-led working group is currently preparing additional evidence and guidance. Once it is formally published, it will be linked here. You may find it helpful to draft ideas now, then finalise your submission after:

  • the Regulation 18 consultation documents are issued;
  • parish evidence packs are publicly released;
  • B&DBC drop-in events and Q&A sessions have taken place.

Representations should be in your own words and reflect your understanding, location, experience and concerns. Identical letters carry much less weight.

When drafting your response, you may find these FAQs helpful:

Before the Regulation 18 consultation opens, you can still share views by emailing Cllr Konieczko, Cabinet Member for Planning, and, ideally, copying me in so I am aware of the points you are raising.

Once the Regulation 18 consultation is officially open, the most effective way to comment is to use the official consultation route provided by Basingstoke & Deane Borough Council, so that your representation is logged formally and considered alongside the evidence.

You can also refer to Cllr Nick Carter’s example response for structure and tone.

Maps & Overlays

These resources show the location and planning context for the proposed site:

Key stages and dates (subject to change)

  • 4 Sept 2025 B&DBC reviews candidate sites incl. West End Farm
  • 11 Nov 2025 B&DBC Cabinet agrees to publish draft Local Plan
  • Late Nov 2025 Regulation 18 consultation opens (8 weeks)
  • First half 2026 Regulation 19 publication & submission to Inspector
  • Late 2020s Earliest possible start of any housing (if allocated & permission granted)

Page created and maintained by Cllr Nick Carter, West Berkshire Council – Burghfield & Mortimer Ward.
Content last updated .

Stay Updated

If you’d like updates when Basingstoke & Deane publish new documents, when the Regulation 18 consultation opens, or when key dates change, you can sign up below. You’ll only receive occasional updates on this topic.

Your details are used only for updates about the Local Plan and West End Farm site. You can unsubscribe at any time.

Contact

Cllr Nick Carter • West Berkshire Council – Burghfield & Mortimer Ward
[email protected] · 07447 557557

Official Local Plan queries (B&DBC Planning Policy Team): [email protected]

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