Clayhill Copse Clayhill Road Burghfield Common Reading Data via plota.co.uk

25/02702/AGRIC - Agricultural Development Refused

Proposal

Application to determine if prior approval is required for a proposed: Alteration of an existing road or highway - Improving the existing access track by 1 to 2 loads of crushed concrete with a top dressing of type 1 scalpings Data via plota.co.uk

View original council record ↗Last checked

Application progress

✓
Received
21 Nov 2025
✓
Validated
24 Nov 2025
✗
Refused
19 Jan 2026
Appeal
Not lodged

Refused on 19 Jan 2026 · Delegated Decision · Last checked 10 Oct 2026

Site constraints 5

Ancient woodland: Clayhill Copse
Irreplaceable habitat. Standing advice asks for a 15 m buffer from the boundary.
National policy refuses development that would cause loss or deterioration of ancient woodland or ancient trees unless there are wholly exceptional reasons.
Tree preservation order: 201/21/0284 - W1
Consent is needed before work on protected trees.
Not every council has published its orders as open data, so no order shown is not proof there is none.
Priority habitat: Deciduous woodland
A habitat of principal importance. It shapes the ecology work and the biodiversity net gain a scheme has to show.
Habitat network: Ancient Semi Natural Woodland
Where habitat is joined up enough to work as a network. Context, not a constraint on its own.
Also on the record
Natural England's Provisional ALC map (1:250,000, 1970s) had this area as grade 3, but it predates the buildings here and the current map does not class it as farmland.
Not affected
Outside flood zones 2 and 3 · Not green belt · No listed building at the site

Checked on 10 October 2026. Historic England, the Environment Agency, Natural England and council datasets, Open Government Licence. A boundary can run through a site and the council holds the definitive record: confirm with the council before relying on this.

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Important details

Application type
Agricultural Development
Received
21 Nov 2025
Validated
24 Nov 2025
Ward
Burghfield & Mortimer
Parish
Burghfield Parish Council
Case officer
Show
Target decision
19 Jan 2026
Decision
Refusal
Decision date
19 Jan 2026
Decision level
Delegated Decision
Applicant
Show
Agent
Maydencroft Limited

How this decision compares

Decided in 56 days from validation, 13 days slower than West Berkshire's median of 43 for prior approvals. Refused, as 21% of prior approvals here are.

88%decided within 8 weeks
79%approved
196decided in the last year

Plota live figures for prior approvals decided by West Berkshire in the last twelve months, from validation. West Berkshire decision record →

Public comments

1comment received
1 objecting

20 neighbours consulted · Last counted 10 Oct 2026

Read the comments on the council site ↗

Consultation & key dates

Comments by
31 Dec 2025
Statutory expiry
15 Dec 2025
Env. assessment
No
West Berkshire
Planning Authority Score
3.9/10
Below average
#202 of 296 councils
Relevant to this application:
Householder decisions

West Berkshire is slower than most councils at deciding householder applications, ranking #199 out of 296. Householder applications are slightly more likely to be approved here (93%) than the national average (90%).

Slower than most councils
for householder decisions
These figures are council-wide context, not a prediction for this application. View full council performance
West Berkshire decision statistics
Based on MHCLG data, the year to March 2026
90%
Overall approval rate
Above avg (87%) #122 of 296
93%
Householder approved
Above avg (90%) #142 of 296
57%
Decided in 8 weeks
Below avg (63%) #199 of 296
46%
Extended time limit
Above avg (41%) #203 of 296
55%
Minor dwellings approved
65 decided (1-9 homes)
96%
Major dwellings approved
25 decided (10+ homes)
77%
Change of use approved
57 decided
1,045
Total decisions
108 refused in the year to March 2026