FIVE new huge houses are planned for the site of an old garden centre in Swallowfield which neighbours call an “eyesore”.

Developers want to build the houses where Balcombe Nurseries used to be on Basingstoke Road.

Neighbours have welcomed the plans and complained the current site is a ‘blot on the landscape’, in letters to Wokingham Borough Council.

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Garth Pearce said: “We live directly overlooking the eyesore of this wretched site, which has been a blot on the landscape for the best part of 25 years.

“It has suffered a notably long and ignoble history, details of which could take up to 100 pages.

“The current applicant has kept us informed of his intentions and ideas from the beginning. This is a well researched and elegant application, which would much benefit the area.”

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Because the site is larger than one hectare, councillors on the planning committee will consider the application on Wednesday, May 13, in a public meeting. They will then vote whether to approve planning permission.

The five detached houses will have two access roads off Basingstoke Road. One road will lead to the biggest house with six bedrooms, while the second road will lead to the other four houses: one with five bedrooms and three with four bedrooms.

The builders will have to get archaeologists to explore the site before the start building the houses, as there may be bronze age artefacts buried there.

According to Berkshire Archaeology, several artefacts have been found in the area, ranging from the bronze age to the medieval period, including Roman remains.

Other neighbours supporting the plans were Emma Parsons and Evan Lindsell. Ms Parsons said: “I fully support the planning application. It is well in keeping with the area. The current site is an eyesore but this change will benefit Swallowfield.”

Mr Lindsell said: “As a neighbour adjoining this development, I fully support the development and recommend this scheme for approval without further delay.” 

Woodridge Developments, the builders who submitted the plans, will pay the council £215,000 to go towards affordable housing elsewhere in the borough.