At the Wokingham Borough Council meeting on Thursday 19th September the councillors will be asked to approve the next stage in the Local Plan Update.  After more than two and a half years since the end of the consultation on the first draft of the plan, we will see an updated plan which will have at its heart a new major housing site at Hall Farm or Loddon Garden Village as it will be referred to.

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Whether the new plan has 4,500 houses at Hall Farm, or a fractionally reduced number around 4,000 homes, it remains the case that Hall Farm is not the best site in Wokingham for a new Strategic Development Location (SDL).  But don't take our word for it.  Arborfield & Newland Parish Council has published on its website the report it commissioned in conjunction with Shinfield PC from planning consultants Bell Cornwell. (LINK HERE)

 

The report concludes "There are alternative combinations of SDL's that could be considered to achieve the vision and objectives of the draft Plan meaning the plan will better serve the existing and future communities by achieving more sustainable developments than currently proposed.  Hall Farm has a significant number of constraints some of which appear to have been downplayed in the work published by the Council."

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As we all know, these constraints include:

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• Flooding. The site straddles the Loddon flood plain and with predictions of increased rainfall due to climate change the risk to the site, and to other communities downstream from increased run-off cannot be adequately assessed.

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• Traffic. Due to complete lack of viable public transport options from the site, a further 8,000 vehicles on our local roads will lead to more pollution, poor air quality and gridlock.  The LPU’s plan for Hall Farm will include a new bridge over the M4 taking traffic from the site to the roundabout at Meldreth Way/Lower Earley Way.  These roads to the north of the M4 are already extremely busy at peak times.

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• Infrastructure.  There is no current local infrastructure and the estimate of more than £200m required to build the minimum infrastructure for the development.

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• Environment. The development of Loddon Garden Village would complete the urbanisation of the area, connecting Reading to Wokingham via Shinfield, Arborfield, Winnersh and Barkham.

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Let's make it clear to Wokingham Borough Council that Hall Farm is not the right choice for a major housing development.  Join us outside the main entrance to the Council offices at Shute End at 7.00pm on Thursday 19th September and make your feeling known as the councillors arrive.

 

If you can stay longer, please attend the council meeting, which starts at 7.30pm, and sit in the public gallery. If you are able to attend please let us know so that we can provide placards and posters.

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Email us at affordableandsustainable@gmail.com or go to the Get Involved section of the website.