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Watership Down author fights new homes plan

Thursday, 16 February 2012 10:36 AM

Fiction is threatening to become reality as planners earmark the countryside that inspired Watership Down as a site for new housing.

In the book by Richard Adams, a group of rabbits is forced from Sandleford Warren after one of them dreams of its destruction and humans threaten it with the development of 'modern residences'. After lots of much-loved adventures they find a new home at Watership Down.

Now West Berkshire Council has voted in favour of building 2,000 homes on Sandleford Park as part of the 10,500 homes it says are needed to cope with Newbury's rising population.

Richard Adams published Watership Down in 1972. He grew up in the areas and still lives 11 miles away from Sandleford. Now aged 91 he is backing a campaign by local residents to stop the development.

He told the Daily Mail: "I am absolutely incensed and horrified by what the council have done. We haven't given up the fight yet. I am in touch with the local group and they're discussing what they can do next to get this overturned.

"It's only outline consent at the moment and that is the best stage to stop them. If and when someone actually applies for planning permission to build, we can pull out all the stops."

The council said the plan had been approved after extensive discussion with no amendments.

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