Campaign group fears it can’t stop development
Council set to make decision on controversial Pincents Hill homes plan
A CAMPAIGN group that has spent years fighting to preserve green space in Tilehurst is “not confident” that a 265-home development can be stopped, writes Local Democracy Reporter NATHAN HYDE.
U+I Pincents Lane Ltd’s plans to build on land just off Pincents Lane have proved to be extremely controversial, as more than 2,100 objections have been lodged since 2019.
But there are hundreds of supporters who say they are being priced out of Tilehurst and welcome this project as it will provide 106 affordable homes.
The company has also promised to provide £1m for infrastructure, create a 22-acre public park and plant enough trees to form a 20m wide ‘woodland buffer’ between Tilehurst and the new housing estate.
But the Save Pincents Hill Group said people “really value” the “last open green space in Tilehurst” and that it is full of wildlife.
The group is concerned about losing that green space and says the development will put a huge strain on local schools, GP surgeries, roads and other infrastructure.
A decision is due to be made by West Berkshire Council at the end of April and the group believes the planning application will probably be approved.
The group said “the only thing that may save us” is a report from the council’s highways development control team leader.
In the report, he
raised
concerns about queues and journey times on Pincents Lane being “even longer” near IKEA and Sainsbury’s if the homes are built.
A Save Pincents Hill Group spokeswoman said: “People don’t care about what type of houses will be built, they just don’t want them to be built there.
“People really value the open space for its peace and quiet and once it’s gone, it’s gone forever.”
She added: “There have been five planning applications for that hill and three appeals that have been turned down.
“People have been fighting to protect the hill for years.
“It’s a threat people have been living with since the 1980s.”
The campaign group also claims this project contravenes a
West Berkshire Council planning policy which states new homes should “primarily” be built on “previously developed land within settlement boundaries”.
U+I director Jonny Anstead said: “Local people do care about what kind of homes can be provided here and many local people have urged us to provide homes that they, or their children, can afford.
“That’s why we are offering 40 per cent of homes as being either social rent or shared ownership.
“Local residents have told us that housing in Tilehurst is scarce and too expensive.
“We’ve spoken with adults from their 20s and into their 50s who are living with their parents, because the high cost of local housing prevents them from affording a place of their own.
“They don’t want to move out of the area and leave behind their friends and family.
“Members of the police, school and NHS staff have told us they are priced out of the area.
“It’s right that these people, and others, should be able to have their own home in their local area.”
He added: “What we’re proposing will add enormously to the level of public green, open space in the local area, by opening up 22 acres of the site as a new public park that will be owned and managed locally and protected from any future development.
“This is an important, and potentially one-off opportunity to secure a key new green space for local residents to use legally, and on a permanent basis.
“Our plans are sustainable with at least a 35-per-cent saving on operational carbon emissions compared to conventional development.
“In addition, our site is wellplaced for sustainable travel to local jobs in Reading, Tilehurst and elsewhere in West Berkshire.
“These are some of the reasons hundreds of local residents we spoke with during our consultation supported our proposals for Pincents Lane.
“We continue to work constructively with West Berkshire officers to address all remaining issues to ensure we bring forward a scheme that will be of real benefit to the area.”