Plans to demolish a Sonning three-bedroom house on Old Bath Road and replace it with a larger six-bedroom home by Mr and Mrs Dattani have been withdrawn after strong objections.
The applicants said the existing house had reached the end of its lifespan and replacing it was the "most economically viable solution" to modernise the property. They planned an eco-friendly design with better insulation, double or triple glazing and solar panels.
They argued the new house would fit the street, pointing to other extended or rebuilt homes nearby. Permission had already been granted in January 2025 for demolition and rebuild; the latest application sought changes to improve the layout and meet the applicants' "lifelong living and sustainability requirements".
Sonning Parish Council strongly opposed the scheme, calling it "overwhelming" and "unneighbourly, inconsiderate" and saying it was overdevelopment. It raised worries about removing mature trees, potential overlooking and large balconies.
The applicants' planning statement countered the impact claims, saying the layout was "carefully thought out", existing hedges and trees would screen the property, and there would be generous separation from boundaries. They said landscaping would help keep the street's "open and leafy feel".
The parish council said the plans would remove neighbours' "pleasant settings" and create "a very urban place more suitable to a built-up area".
The application was withdrawn on November 5 before Wokingham Borough Council decided. The planning register gives no reason.
See plans on Wokingham Borough Council's planning website by searching application 261836.
Katie French, Local Democracy Reporter
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