Protest against plan for 350 homes at Reading village

Mortimer village is situated south of Reading in West Berkshire. 

The village has a population of around 3,800, and has pubs, cafes, local businesses and its own train station.

Mortimer is also situated near landmarks such as the Silchester Roman ruins and Stratfield Saye House, the historic country home of the Dukes of Wellington.

Residents are up in arms over a proposal for 350 homes at West End Farm, which is just over the borough boundary with Basingstoke & Deane. 

Neighbours staged a public protest when officers from Basingstoke & Deane Borough Council visited the village for a briefing on the proposal, which opponents say will be heavily dependent on services, roads and infrastructure in Berkshire.

The protest was held on Tuesday, January 7, where villagers, local councillors and community groups challenged what they describe as a cross-border planning loophole that leaves Mortimer with all the burdens of the scheme, but none of the funding.

Neighbours argued that all the money paid for the project - such as council tax and community infrastructure levy - will be paid to the councils in Hampshire rather than Berkshire. 

Meanwhile, they argue that Mortimer and the surrounding villages will shoulder the traffic pressures, demand for schools and GP services, and the additional strain on utilities.

It is unclear whether any money would be paid to Stratfield Mortimer Parish Council and West Berkshire Council to help mitigate these pressures. 

Furthermore, the parish council has argued that the proposed scheme contravenes its adopted neighbourhood plan, enabling multi-storey housing and densities “incompatible” with Mortimer’s established character.

Councillor  David Kilshaw, vice-chair of the parish council, said: “Mortimer is being asked to absorb all the impact of a development it did not plan, did not agree to, and will not receive a penny to support.

“This is not cooperation — it is exploitation of a cross-border technicality that leaves our parish financially burdened and democratically bypassed.”

The protest was held as Basingstoke & Deane Borough Council is conducting an update to its Local Plan, which defines which sites in the area can be allocated for new housing.

West End Farm is situated south-west of Mortimer, on four fields immediately south of West End Road. 

The land is being promoted as policy SPS.5.15 within Basingstoke's draft local plan.

The policy states that Mortimer is identified as a Rural Service Centre within the West Berkshire Local Plan 2023, which is defined as providing a focal point for surrounding villages and rural areas for the provision of services and facilities. 

A consultation into the draft local plan is currently live and will close at 5pm on Friday, January 23. 

You can make a representation online. 

Basingstoke & Deane Borough Council is controlled by a minority coalition of the Liberal Democrats and the Indepedent Forum, with West Berkshire Council being controlled by the Lib Dems.