Newbury: 360 homes planned on land made famous in Watership Down story

Mr Adams' novel tells the story of a young rabbit who has a vision of his warren's destruction at Sandleford

Plans to build 360 new homes on land which was made famous in children's book Watership Down are set to go before councillors.

West Berkshire Council's planning committee for the area has been asked to approve the work at Sandleford Park West at a meeting on Wednesday.

Development on the Newbury site, immortalised in Richard Adams' 1972 novel, is led by Donnington New Homes.

The project has received more than 100 objections.

Issues brought forward from the public consultations on the plans included concerns about an increase in traffic in the area.

However a council report on the project said: "This outline planning application, as amended, is acceptable and satisfactory and should be granted outline planning permission subject to conditions and the prior satisfactory completion of a Section 106 Legal Agreement."

Plans to build homes at Sandleford have been in the pipeline for more than a decade.

The planning inspector allowed another, larger development in the area of more than 1,000 homes from Bloor Homes to go ahead last year, after it had been refused by West Berkshire Council, citing the need for more housing supply.

Watership Down

In 2011 Richard Adams criticised plans to build 2,000 houses in the area.

At the time the author, who died in 2016, said: "It's a beautiful piece of open country and the most beautiful area south of Newbury.

"The very idea of building on it makes your gorge rise."

Mr Adams' novel tells the story of a young rabbit who has a vision of his warren's destruction at Sandleford and journeys with his group to Watership Down.

It was transformed into an animated film in 1978.

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