It would be ‘absolute lunacy’ to allow 56 homes to be built on a country road, neighbours have said – especially as there are plans to build 26 more just one plot down.

Wokingham Borough councillors are set to decide whether to allow the new estate to be built at 33 Barkham Ride, just outside Finchampstead.

But neighbours on the road have pleaded with them to consider how the area is being changed by several planned construction projects. These include two new special educational needs schools on the road, and proposals to build some 26 homes at 31 Barkham Ride.

Jane Buckell of Radical Ride said housing developments could destroy the countryside. She said: “I moved here two and a half years ago and what I love the most is how rural it is. I love the countryside and the fact that it is so open. I love that I can see and hear cows!

READ MORE: Warning of ‘chaos’ in Barkham as major works to take place all at once

“All I read about though is how this land is going to be built on and that piece of land has been sold to developers. We have to preserve our countryside otherwise there will be none left.”

Other neighbours are worried that local roads and services will be unable to cope with an increase in new residents.

Some warned that Barkham Ride is already dangerous. Timothy Ferguson of Garrett Road said it is ‘only a matter of time until a serious accident occurs on Barkham Ride.’

And Roland Eckert of Johnson Drive said: “This application is absolute lunacy.” He said the density of the houses would ‘look completely out of character,’ and said the extra traffic would be too much for local roads.

Several residents asked Wokingham Borough Council to consider the plans for 33 and 31 Barkham Ride together. However planning laws mean councils are only allowed to consider planning applications individually, on their own merits.

Planning officers are recommending that councillors approve the plans for 33 Barkham Ride.

They acknowledge that the site is in the countryside. But they note it is on the edge of Finchampstead, and that the site is included for development in a draft of the council’s local plan update. This is a plan outlining where development might be permitted and encouraged though it has not yet been formally approved.

Council officers also say that the plans are acceptable ‘in principle’ within the surrounding countryside – although specific details will have to be approved later. And they believe the road network is capable of accommodating the extra traffic.

Councillors on Wokingham Borough’s planning committee are set to debate and vote on the plans on Wednesday, March 13.