Proposed Housing at West End Farm, Mortimer West End

No. The land at West End Farm is a potential site in Basingstoke & Deane’s draft Local Plan. This does not grant planning permission. The proposal will first go through a Regulation 18 consultation (expected later this year) and must be tested against evidence on environment, infrastructure, transport and deliverability before any decision is made.

These are the key questions the Local Plan process must answer. Before any large allocation can be confirmed, 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

No detailed site-specific assessments have been published yet. If the site remains in the draft plan, those studies will be required before the next stage (Regulation 19).

Mortimer West End is in Hampshire. Catchments typically relate to Silchester C of E Primary School and The Hurst School, Baughurst (secondary). Families can apply to West Berkshire schools (e.g. Mortimer St John’s, St Mary’s, The Willink), but those schools prioritise pupils living in their West Berkshire catchments.

Transport: Free home-to-school transport is decided by Hampshire rules (nearest suitable school and distance/route safety). It is unlikely to be funded to a more distant out-of-county school if a nearer suitable Hampshire school has places.

No. The AWE Aldermaston and AWE Burghfield DEPZs lie to the north-east of Mortimer. The proposed Mortimer West End site is outside those zones. The Office for Nuclear Regulation (ONR) is generally a statutory consultee for developments within a DEPZ; outside the zones, emergency-planning matters are handled by BDBC and Hampshire County Council.

Each council must start with the Government’s standard method for local housing need (a formula based on population and affordability). This is a starting point, not a fixed target. The final housing requirement in the Local Plan should reflect what can realistically be delivered, considering land availability, infrastructure capacity and environmental limits.

BDBC Full Council, advised by planning officers and an independent Planning Inspector, decides which sites appear in the final Local Plan. Even then, a developer must submit a planning application with its own public consultation and decision.

Any large allocation must be supported by new or improved infrastructure, including school capacity, GP services, road access, public transport and drainage. BDBC’s evidence base must demonstrate these needs can be met and funded — usually through developer contributions (e.g. Section 106 or CIL).

The site is in Hampshire, within Mortimer West End Parish, bordering Stratfield Mortimer (West Berkshire). Although any new homes would physically adjoin Mortimer, planning decisions and most services (schools/highways) would fall under Basingstoke & Deane Borough Council and Hampshire County Council.

There are practical steps residents can take both now and later.

Before the formal consultation (now)

• Email the BDBC Portfolio Holder for Planning – [email protected]
• Contact BDBC ward councillors: [email protected], [email protected], [email protected]
• Write to the West Berkshire ward councillor – [email protected]
• Contact the parish councils:
  • Mortimer West End Parish Council
  • Stratfield Mortimer Parish Council
• BDBC Planning Policy Team – to be advised
• Sign the community petition and share accurate updates with neighbours.

When the Regulation 18 consultation opens

• Submit an individual response via BDBC’s consultation portal or email (details will be provided at the time). Every response is logged and must be considered.

If the site remains in the draft plan

• Take part in the subsequent Regulation 19 consultation — comments at this stage go to the Planning Inspector for the Local Plan Examination.

In short, early letters flag concern; formal consultation responses are what legally count in the plan-making process.

• Cllr Nick Carter, West Berkshire – Burghfield & Mortimer Ward
  [email protected] · 07447 557557
• Stratfield Mortimer Parish Council – Add website link
• Mortimer West End Parish Council – Add website link
• BDBC Planning Policy Team – to be advised

Community Infrastructure Levy (CIL) is a general charge on new floorspace collected by the charging authority (here, Basingstoke & Deane). A portion goes to parishes within BDBC’s area. It does not get paid to West Berkshire for facilities in Mortimer.

Section 106 (S106) is different: it is a site-specific, legally binding obligation used to mitigate the direct impacts of a scheme (for example, a junction upgrade or a proportionate contribution to school/health capacity if justified by evidence).

Cross-boundary impacts: BDBC must engage with neighbouring authorities and infrastructure providers (West Berkshire, Hampshire County Council, NHS ICB, utilities) on strategic, cross-boundary issues and record outcomes in Statements of Common Ground.

If the Mortimer GP surgery cannot absorb demand: Any expansion or new provision would be led by the NHS Integrated Care Board and the practice, supported by evidence. In some cases S106 can fund health infrastructure if the NHS evidences a direct, proportionate impact from the development. CIL is a more general pot controlled by BDBC, and there is no automatic funding for West Berkshire facilities.

Land set aside for a GP or school: Land availability helps, but it does not in itself commit the NHS or education authority to build. Delivery depends on evidenced need, funding and timing.

Possibly helpful for private dental access, but not a guaranteed solution for NHS capacity. NHS dentistry is commissioned via separate NHS contracts; a bigger or relocated private practice does not automatically expand NHS places. Any NHS increase would depend on the NHS commissioning more capacity and the practice holding or expanding an NHS contract.