‘Park and ride buses will stop outside children’s bedrooms’

“THE PARK and ride is going to take away our parking bay”.

This is the concern from a Wokingham resident who is angry about a new transport hub to be built at Coppid Beech roundabout.

But Wokingham Borough Council said this is not the case, and is down to an error on the planning documents.

Emma Kirkum, a Keephatch Gardens resident, is upset that the park and ride is being built “on her front doorstep” and fears it could impact the local community.

In May last year, Wokingham Borough Council applied for planning permission to build the transport hub next to the housing estate. The land has been earmarked for the park and ride ever since Keephatch Gardens was proposed in 2015.

Cllr Pauline Jorgensen, executive member for highways and transport, said it is “a strong project which will provide long-term benefit for the council”.

But Ms Kirkum fears her building’s parking bay will become a bus stop under the newplans.

“That parking bay has always been a visitor bay for Bur House,” Ms Kirkum said. “Even on the original plan for Keephatch Gardens, it says that it’s a visitor bay, but on the new plan for the park and ride, it now says it’s going to be a bus stop.”

A spokesperson for Wokingham Borough Council said the visitor bay will remain just that, and thiswas incorrectly marked on the planning documents.

Ms Kirkum has raised further concerns about the transport hub, and fears it will put her children at risk.

“We’re going to have multiple buses driving past every hour, all day long, but we’ve got nowhere safe to cross,” she said.

“The road is narrow and it’s going to have to deal with pub traffic [from the Oakingham Belle] aswell as buses.”

She said there’s nothing on the planning documents regarding a crossing.

Cllr Jorgensen said the access road has been “safely audited” and deemed “acceptable”.

Ms Kirkum said she is also worried about the privacy implications of building the park and ride in a residential area.

“Some of the buses are double deckers, so passengers will be able to look into at least the second floor of these houses,” she said.

Cllr Rachel Burgess, Labour ward councillor for Norreys, is also concerned.

“One resident said buses will be stopping right outside their child’s bedroom windows, which if so is really unpleasant,” she said.

“There’s no other park and ride in the borough that is adjacent to housing in theway that this one is, and I think some residents are nowonly just realising how bad it’s going to be.

“The rationale for the park and ride is still not clear to me I just can’t see why it’s needed in this location.”

According to Cllr Jorgensen, the principle of the park and ride’s location is “long standing”.

“The park and ride, which is included in the developer’s publicity materials, will help to reduce congestion on the A329 between Bracknell and Wokingham, and encourage sustainable transport,” she said.

The £3 million project is due to be completed early next year.