Furious neighbors have accused a care home worker of being an “Oscar act” after she won a bitter planning dispute to build her dream home on land at the foot of two gardens.
Geraldine Parke had applied to build a three-bedroom house with parking on what neighbors described as “an extremely small plot” in Winkfield, Berkshire.
He already had planning permission to build a single-storey house on the land, but then asked Bracknell Forest Council if he could change the plans to enlarge the property and add a fireplace.
He told councilors his plans to alter the property were to “appease” neighbors.
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Furious neighbors have accused a care home worker of an ‘Oscar performance’ after she won a bitter planning dispute to build her dream home near her gardens (pictured, site of the proposed house)
Parke told councilors his plans to alter the property were to “pacify” neighbors (pictured is an aerial view of the site).
Planning images show the scale of the proposed property near Bracknell in Berkshire.
Mrs Parke said: “I have been there personally to see the neighbors and I am probably the best neighbor they could have.”
“I have served the community as a key worker and feel I have now done everything I can within the recommendations to move forward with this self-build.”
She added that she was a “self-builder” and that she had contributed the land with her life savings.
She said: ‘I have compromised my desire to have my dream home by following the officer’s advice and reducing the plan and development.
‘I have consulted throughout this application and it has been quite mentally exhausting when I was already exhausted from supporting us during the pandemic.
‘I believe I meet the criteria that the government also sets for community key workers and people who support self-build. I just have to trust the process now.”
Although councilor Patrick Smith said he found such infill projects “quite distasteful”, Bracknell Forest Council’s committee approved the application.
Councilor Tricia Brown, chair of the committee, said: ‘I think there are a lot of positives here.
‘I don’t think there’s anything we can refuse. I believe it has complied with all planning regulations, local and national.’
Local resident Amanda Pottow said she found the planning committee’s decision “unbelievable”.
The 60-year-old accountant was one of many residents who had banded together to order a chartered town planner to oppose the proposals.
She said: ‘It’s literally at the bottom of someone’s garden. There is no access, because it is a private road.
‘I never thought that would be approved in a million years. I know they make a lot of paintings, but that’s not even really a painting. Most fields have access from the main road.
Pottow said trees on the road, which had existed here since the 1850s, would need to be cut down to create access.
Planning designs for three bedroom house – showing initial approved and new larger scheme
Local resident Amanda Pottow (pictured) said she found the planning committee’s decision “unbelievable”.
Geraldine Parke applied to build a three-bedroom house with parking on what neighbors described as “an extremely small plot” (pictured)
“My mother lived here before me for 30 years and she planted them and looked after them and everything,” Mrs Pottow added.
Reacting to what happened at the planning committee, Mrs Pottow said: “The applicant put on an Oscar performance about how she was an NHS worker and how she used her life savings.”
“We’re in a planning meeting, not the Oscars.”
Lisa Weaver, another neighbor who objected, said she was “very disappointed” by the council’s decision.
“I still can’t understand how everyone said they were against it and yet approved it,” said the 56-year-old housewife.
“Something is wrong there.”
“We have lived here for 25 years, before there were 11 of us and now there are 17 of us. When I first moved to this street, we were a small street, very friendly.”
Reacting to Ms Parke’s speech, Ms Weaver said: “There are four people working for the NHS on this street, and she is not unusual.”
Another neighbor, who did not want to be named, said: “It was disappointing that the councilors who took part said they didn’t agree with the infill, but then approved it.”
“I really didn’t understand that at all.”
The neighbor noted that the land had initially been rejected for approval in 2020, but was later approved when the applicant offered to make it smaller.
“It just doesn’t add up,” the neighbor said. ‘I do not know what we can do. It is very difficult.’