Plans to build a new block of flats close to the town centre have been approved – after neighbours raised fears it would ‘tower over’ their homes and cause traffic problems.

Burlington Developments now has permission to build a four-storey building containing 42 flats on Latimer Road, close to Wokingham town centre. Its plans were approved by Wokingham Borough Council’s planning committee on Wednesday, November 10.

Neighbours had written to object. They pointed out that the flats would only have 34 parking spaces, and argued that the flats block daylight into some of their homes.

And the owners of a nearby Nisa shop had concerns that the plans would mean delivery lorries would have to stop on Barkham Road, holding up traffic.

Members of Wokingham Borough’s planning committee delayed their decision at a previous meeting on Wednesday, November 13, so they could visit the site themselves.

Councillor Michael Firmager said he was still worried that the new flats would bring parking problems. He said: “I had problems trying to park around there, and I parked some considerable distance from it.

“There’s a lot of residents’ parking around there, lots of single yellow lines, double yellow lines. Knowing what human nature is, there’s going to be more cars wanting to park there than there are spaces – and where are the cars going to park?”

Planning officer Benjamin Hindle replied that the council would demand developers include a parking management plan that would be ‘very strictly enforced.’

He said: “If someone is parking there that shouldn’t be, they will receive a ticket.” He added that the leases for the seven ‘car free’ flats would stipulate residents must not own a car. And he said they believe nearby council-run car parks could accommodate visitors’ cars.

Councillor Wayne Smith said he had asked for the site visit because he wanted to see for himself what the impact of the bulk and mass of the new block would be. He said that having visited, he thought the development would ‘tidy up’ the site currently occupied by two factories.

He said: “This is a brownfield site. This is where we should be building, and not on greenfield sites.

“I was concerned about the bulk, mass, scale and all of that, and that’s the reason for putting forward a site visit. But on going there, the site is in a pretty sad mass and I think this will tidy it up.”

The nine councillors on the committee voted unanimously to approve the plans.