New brick-built bus shelter in Sherfield-on-Loddon

The shelter stands on Breach Lane in Sherfield-on-Loddon, directly in front of Breach Lane Chapel, and is awaiting its roof.

Parish council documents set aside £10,000 for a “Bus Shelter at Breach Lane”, alongside a teenage shelter, outdoor table tennis and tennis court repairs.

Breach Lane Chapel, built in 1924 on the site of a meeting house dating from 1831, lies in Sherfield-on-Loddon’s Conservation Area and is part of its distinctive historic character.

A walking guide by local volunteers uses “the bus shelter opposite” the chapel as a landmark on a village route.

How the bus shelter will look with its roof on (Image: Sherfield-on-Loddon Parish Council)

The brick shelter will have a tiled roof to match others in the parish, rather than the metal-and-glass designs common on main roads.

A spokesperson for Sherfield-on-Loddon Parish Council said: "The proposal for a new bus shelter was identified in early 2025 and included in the Parish Council's Community Infrastructure Fund survey in April/May 2025, which was published in the Parish magazine and on the Council's website.

"Residents were invited to rank potential projects, with the bus shelter receiving 464 points and being ranked third overall."

The original plan was for a timber shelter, but parish council quotations showed it would cost far more than expected.

The parish council considered alternatives before choosing a bespoke brick shelter as the best-value option.

The spokesperson said that the vernacular design is "more in keeping with the character of the village, complements the existing bus shelters, and provides a durable, low-maintenance and vandal-resistant facility."

They continued: "During the consultation and decision-making process, the Parish Council received one formal objection and one suggestion that a modern-style shelter should be considered.

"Breach Lane Chapel was consulted throughout and confirmed it was happy for the shelter to be located in front of the chapel.

The bus shelter in front of the chapel (Image: Sherfield-on-Loddon Parish Council)

Dr Peter Lansley, MBE, a Sherfield-on-Loddon resident and retired University of Reading construction management professor, circulated a briefing opposing the shelter directly in front of the chapel.

Dr Lansley shared fears the shelter will block the chapel view from the A33 roundabout, is “in the wrong place” and of “little value to travellers” compared with other sites; he calls the chapel “the spiritual home of many generations of villagers” and central to Sherfield-on-Loddon’s identity.

The briefing questions the switch from timber to brick and claims the project went ahead without meaningful consultation.

The parish council said it makes decisions at public meetings and records them in minutes published on its website.

"These meetings provide the opportunity for residents to make representations or raise concerns, and no further representations were received during the decision-making process," the spokesperson added.

They added: "The bus stop is regularly used by residents, including elderly passengers and school children, and the new permanent shelter will provide much-needed protection from the weather. Construction is now substantially complete, with the roof due to be finished this week."

The shelter has been treated as a parish project rather than a standard planning application to Basingstoke and Deane Borough Council.