Campaign updates
August 2025
CYO Seeds has submitted a new application for a seed cleaning plant opposite Nightingale Farm in Wantage Road, Leckhampstead.
The original plan was rejected by West Berkshire Council in November 2024 and we believe the new plan is nearly a repeat of this with a few changes.
We believe that the plan, which would include barns to accommodate a workshop, office and vehicle storage, together with dwellings for workers and external lighting, will have a significantly negative impact on this Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty.
Previously there was overwhelming opposition to the application from the local community and we are urging everyone who supported the previous campaign to contact the Council voicing their objections.
The grounds for the original application being turned down include:
- The site is an inappropriate location for industrial use
- It would have a harmful impact on the AONB/character of the area
- An increase in traffic along the surrounding roads where there are no pedestrian or bus routes
Farmer John Duffield, who is leading the campaign, said: “The application is nearly a repeat of the previous plan, with a few changes including calling it an agricultural development rather than an industrial one.
“The Council has been quite clear that this location is inappropriate for an industrial development when it rejected the previous application.
“I would urge anyone who cares about protecting this AONB to write to the Council voicing their objections. The reference is 25/01745/FULMAJ.”
November 15, 2024 – Application Rejected
On Friday, November 15, 2024, West Berkshire Council announced its decision to reject the application for an industrial seed cleaning plan in Wantage Road, Leckhampstead.
We welcome the decision and would like to thank all the people who’ve supported our campaign against the plan.
The grounds for its decision include:
- The site is an inappropriate location for industrial use
- The development of two separate forms of accommodation cannot be justified
- It would have a harmful impact on the AONB/character of the area
- A lack of information on nutrient neutrality and the impact on the surrounding roads in the application
- An increase in traffic along the surrounding roads where there are no pedestrian or bus routes
- A lack of information in the application regarding the number of staff on site at any given time and the amount of parking provision
The reasons for refusal are available on the council’s website by searching application 23/02913/FULMAJ.
Our Campaign
CYO Seeds has submitted a plan relating to land opposite Nightingale Farm in Wantage Road, Leckhampstead, to develop agricultural barns to accommodate a workshop, office and vehicle storage for its agricultural seed processing business. The plan includes a dwelling for workers, together with seasonal worker accommodation, solar panels an external lighting.
We believe the site to be wholly unsuitable for industrial development and have commissioned a report which identifies some 40 alternative sites more fitting for the plans (you can download the full report here).
Concerns
The site lies in the North Wessex Downs Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty. If this development were to be allowed by West Berkshire Council we are concerned that:
- It would cause light pollution in a unspoilt, rural Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty
- It would increase the number of traffic movements along the road, creating a danger to motorists. This has already been flagged by West Berkshire Council’s Highways Department
- It would set a precedent for further development in the area in the future
We have identified 40 different sites in the nearby area which would be more suitable for this kind development.
What we’re doing
Local farmer John Duffield, who owns land to the north and east of the proposed site, is urging people across the area to save this site from development.
He has commissioned several expert reports into the impact of the development will have on the area, which you can read and download them using the following links:
What you can do
If you value this area of unspoilt English countryside and want to save it from development, we urge you to get involved in the campaign to prevent it from going ahead. You can:
- Write to West Berkshire Council objecting to the plan
- Contact the Downlands Ward councillor Clive Hooker
- Write to our local MP, Laura Farris
- Join our Facebook page
- Join our Facebook group
- Sign our Change.org petition here
- Get in touch and join the campaign
- Like and share our posts
