High Holies Woodland Streatley Reading Data via plota.co.uk

25/02707/AGRIC - Agricultural Development Refused

Proposal

Application to determine if prior approval is required for a proposed Forestry Building - Timber Frame Construction. Dimensions: length 16m, height to eaves 2.6m, breadth 5.4m, height to ridge 1.8m. Data via plota.co.uk

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View original council record ↗Last checked 3 Oct 2026, 14:24

Street View

Application progress

✓

Received

24 Nov 2025

✓

Validated

15 Dec 2025

✗

Refused

22 Jan 2026

Appeal

Not lodged

Refused on 22 Jan 2026 · Delegated Decision · Last checked 3 Oct 2026

Documents 9

Site constraints 7

Ancient woodland: High Holies Wood

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.

North Wessex Downs National Landscape

Great weight to conserving the landscape; major development restricted.

Previously an area of outstanding natural beauty, which is still the designation in law. Since 2023 authorities must seek to further its purpose, not merely have regard to it.

Priority habitat: Deciduous woodland

A habitat of principal importance. It shapes the ecology work and the biodiversity net gain a scheme has to show.

Scheduled monument 50 m away: Grim's Ditch: two sections in Portobello Wood, Holies Shaw and High Holies Wood Gap

Its setting is a consideration for work nearby.

Nationally important archaeology protected by the Secretary of State. Work that affects the monument or its setting is rarely permitted.

Historic England ↗

Habitat network: Other Priority Habitats - NEZ

Where habitat is joined up enough to work as a network. Context, not a constraint on its own.

SSSI 178 m away: Holies Down SSSI

Natural England may need consulting, depending on what is proposed.

Sites of special scientific interest are the best wildlife and geological sites in the country. Development likely to harm one is rarely permitted.

Also on the record

Natural England's Provisional ALC map (1:250,000, 1970s) had this area as grade 2, 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 6 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

Council: West Berkshire
Application type: Agricultural Development
Received: 24 Nov 2025
Validated: 15 Dec 2025
Ward: Basildon
Parish: Streatley Parish Council
Case officer: Show
Target decision: 23 Jan 2026
Decision: Refusal
Decision date: 22 Jan 2026
Decision level: Delegated Decision
Applicant: Show

How this decision compares

Decided in 38 days from validation, 5 days faster than West Berkshire's median of 43 for prior approvals. Refused, as 21% of prior approvals here are.

This one38d

Council43d

UK34d

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

No public comments yet.

1 neighbour consulted · Last counted 3 Oct 2026

Read the comments on the council site ↗

Consultation & key dates

Comments by: 19 Jan 2026
Statutory expiry: 5 Jan 2026
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

High Holies Woodland Streatley Reading Data via plota.co.uk

Proposal

Application progress

Documents 9

Decision & officer reports 2

Plans & drawings 4

Application forms 1

Consultation & comments 2