Update on Twin Paddocks site, Brimpton Common
Expiry of the twelve-month compliance period linked to an Enforcement Notice
West Berkshire Council is issuing an update on the site known as Twin Paddocks in Brimpton Common, following the expiry of the twelve-month compliance period linked to an Enforcement Notice upheld by the Planning Inspectorate in March 2025.
The Enforcement Notice requires the cessation of residential use at the site and the removal of associated structures, hardstanding and other operational development. The compliance period ended on 4 March 2026, and the Council has previously written to the landowner to remind them of these requirements.
The Council has now received a new planning application for the site. This proposal is described as materially different from the scheme dismissed at appeal.
Under national planning legislation, the Council is legally obliged to validate and assess any new application submitted to it, provided it is substantively different from earlier proposals. This statutory duty applies irrespective of any ongoing enforcement action.
The application is currently undergoing validation and will be published on the Council's online planning portal once complete. At that stage, residents will be invited to comment.
The Enforcement Notice remains fully in force. The submission of a new planning application does not remove or suspend the landowner's responsibility to comply with the Notice, and the Council continues to pursue compliance. Officers are currently reviewing the level of non-compliance and will determine the appropriate next steps in line with national planning guidance.
Councillor Denise Gaines, West Berkshire's Executive Member for Planning and Housing, said:
"We understand the level of local interest in this site. While national legislation requires us to assess the new planning application on its individual merits, this does not affect our ongoing enforcement work. We continue to monitor the site closely and will update residents once the application is validated and available for public viewing."
The Council will issue further updates as the situation progresses.
