Get involved!
There are many ways to contribute to the campaign, from delivering flyers, to displaying a poster, to writing to your Councillors or even the local press. Below is a letter sent by SOLVE Hall Farm member Dave Green to Wokingham Today. As well as getting letters into the press members of the public can submit questions to Wokingham Borough Council to be answered at the next meeting. Take a look here: https://www.wokingham.gov.uk/council-and-meetings/meetings/ask-question-meeting
Letter to Wokingham Today
Dear Sir
I read the Borough’s Leader column in your paper published on 15 August with a mix of amusement, horror and amazement and felt compelled to respond.
When in opposition the Lib Dems were vociferous about the inappropriate 4500 houses proposed at Hall Farm in the unpopular draft Local Plan Update (LPU). At the forefront of this backlash were the current MP for and ex Leader of Wokingham as well as the current Deputy Leader. The Lib Dems then promised to build fewer houses across the Borough and to review completely the draft LPU.As a result, they enjoyed much success at the May 2022 election and have led the Council since.
However, roll forward 2 years and we see that the Leader intends to publish in September 2024 what appears to be a largely unchanged LPU forgetting all the promises made to residents earlier. Why has it taken over 2 years to oversee such little change which I believe is the product of six months work at the most? How can senior Lib Dem politicians live with themselves after such a volte face?
More to the point the Leader appears now to want support in bringing forward the almost unchanged LPU as a matter of some urgency “in the Borough Interests” and to avoid the existing Local Plan becoming time expired. This is rich given the two years lost in prevarication over a practically unchanged update.
So we await the September Council meeting with trepidation to see what is actually in the document. However, the University of Reading as owner and potential developer of Hall Farm has not wasted time over the last two years. Indeed, it has told the southern parish councils that they intend to export their generated traffic into the heart of Lower Earley via a new link across the M4 into Meldreth Way Roundabout. This would cross land between the M4 and Lower Earley Way which is vested in the Council to protect the setting of Lower Earley from inappropriate development. Such a link would result in loss of essential green space and tree screening and cause huge visual intrusion as well as yet more traffic disruption along Lower Earley Way. In short, if true this will be extremely controversial!
Can I finish by reminding the Leader that the buck for local planning stops with Wokingham Borough Council as Planning Authority. Whilst others may set the ground rules it is entirely for the Council to work within these constraints to find solutions that they believe in and can defend. If not then they should fight their corner with residents support. I would be happy to discuss with Mr Conway when his LPU is published just what is and is not in the best interests of the Borough.
Dave Green
Lower Earley
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To get in touch with the group organiser click on the Heading e.g. Traffic and Roads. This will open a "Mail To" link. Send the organiser an email using the address that comes up. They will get back to you outlining the next steps e.g. An invitation to a meeting.
To find out a bit more about what that group are working on click on the picture, this will take you to a summary page.
This is an area where we feel WBC are on the defensive. We have helped with some traffic surveying at Arborfield Green and can already identify inaccuracies in the data WBC use in their traffic modelling. The condition of our roads is also a major concern when we speak to members of the public.
![20230223_082651[1].jpg](https://static.wixstatic.com/media/7f3f74_582acdbb7f954573802b31cfd4759b7a~mv2.jpg/v1/fill/w_354,h_234,al_c,q_80,usm_0.66_1.00_0.01,enc_auto/20230223_082651%5B1%5D.jpg)
The heritage at Hall Farm includes the ruin of a 14th Century Church, an old water mill, an avenue of trees, and wonderful old farm buildings like the one below. Sadly neglected by the current owners, the University of Reading, environmental assets include many areas of ancient woodland, miles of hedgerows, acres of flood plain and the river Loddon.
When we started this group we began by formulating ideas for how Hall Farm could be used to provide an alternative revenue stream for the University without the need to sell off land to housing developers. This group will look at developing those ideas further.
Fundraising
We recognise that we cannot fight this development without funding. We need money for promotional materials such as flyers, banners and posters.
We look at the last major SDL built at Arborfield Green and it is clear that good infrastructure is not top of the house developers priorities. Over promising and under delivering seems to be the model used elsewhere, we will not accept this at Hall Farm.
We know the local Sewage Treatment Plant discharges directly into Barkham Brook in times of heavy rain. We also know the treatment of sewage has been a major concern at other SDLs. Flooding has always been a concern in this area and Hall Farm is subject to regular flooding at Shinfield and Sindlesham. Nearby Hatch Farm SDL had to have additional millions spent on upgrading the Sustainable Urban Drainage Scheme.
Activism may be as simple as arranging demonstrations, or planning other acts such as writing letters or aranging meetings.
