HOMES FOR FARM SITE Fears plan could lead to another 250 houses
WINNERSH councillors are opposing housing plans at Winnersh Farm, claiming it would act as a backdoor to a 250-home Taylor Wimpey development.
Cllr Paul Fishwick, chairman of Winnersh Parish Council, and Lib Dem councillor on the borough council, said it was sneaky of the borough council to submit the plans during the summer break.
“People might be away on holiday at the moment,” he said. “It’s annoying.”
He fears the plan for 87 homes next to the newly-approved SEND school on Winnersh Farm will act as a back door to a bigger development.
“The Taylor Wimpey application for 250 homes has been rejected once, and withdrawn once,” he said.
This was mainly due to objections about access to the site, which would currently be via Maidensfield, a close in Winnersh.
He is concerned the borough council is unlocking access for Taylor Wimpey by creating a new
entrance point off Woodward Close.
This, he said, could mean the national developers can get permission to build if they reapply.
“It could come back quickly,” the councillor said.
“The Conservative administration is allowing this to happen.”
If it were to return, it could mean up to 500 homes will be accessed via the Woodward Close junction on Reading Road.
With more than 160 households already living there, combined with two schools, an 87-home development
and the potential for 250 additional homes, Cllr Fishwick fears the traffic will put heavy pressure on the newly changed junction.
Located between two new roundabouts connecting the relief roads to the existing routes, Woodward Close is now limited to a left turn exit and entrance only.
This could overload King Street Lane, Cllr Fishwick warned.
“Even with the new SEND school, the traffic modelling shows an increase in queuing traffic,” he said.
And Cllr Fishwick is also frustrated the development encroaches on the countryside.
The land where the 87 homes are proposed is currently outside of the Winnersh settlement boundary, although the borough council has proposed this be redrawn in the draft local plan update.
Cllr Prue Bray, another Liberal Democrat councillor for Winnersh, said it’s wrong for the council to build on the land.
She shares the same concerns over Taylor Wimpey, congestion and countryside development as Cllr Fishwick.
“If it had been 15 or 20 homes, it would be a whole different thing,” she said. “But it’s not, they’re going for some three-storey flats.”
In an objection on the council website, she added: “The Planning Statement refers to public consultation already carried out. It doesn't say that what the result was: overwhelmingly hostile.”
She also said the draft local plan update has no real weight, as its progress has been stalled.
The application includes four blocks of flats, as well as townhouses, terraced, detached houses, and semidetached houses.
It also proposes a play area and pond.
Access to the site would be between Wheatfield Primary School and the British Legion.
The borough council said it wants to build the development “as close to carbon net zero as possible”.
It said the site would showcase energy-efficient developments, and include affordable housing.
“We know a lot of residents have concerns about the impact of housing in the borough on resources and the environment,” said Cllr John Kaiser, executive member for finance and housing.
“The council is committed to tackling the climate emergency, so we need to consider how to balance this with the need for more housing carefully.
“That’s why schemes like Winnersh Farm and Toutley East are so important.
“We want to use them as pilots to showcase how development can be done in a sustainable manner, minimising its impact on the environment as well as the neighbouring area.”
Cllr Rachel Burgess, leader of Wokingham Labour said the development was not ambitious enough.
“However much the development’s green credentials are publicised by the Conservatives, this development is new and therefore by its very nature will do nothing to reduce our current emissions and tackle the dire climate emergency we already face,” she said.
“As for future emissions there are two major issues. It is claimed to be as climate neutral “as possible”, hardly an ambitious enough goa.
“And the increased traffic this will create will inevitably increase emissions and reduce air quality.”
She added: “Much like the Toutley development just a mile away, the proposed development runs right alongside the motorway which means significant traffic noise and concerns about air quality for new residents.”
Cllr Burgess cited the Noise Impact
Appraisal, and said some residents in the new houses would be unable to open their windows without suffering an unacceptable level of noise disturbance.
She said it casts serious doubts over the suitability of this site, alongside the added pressure on infrastructure, amenities and wildlife.
Many residents have disagreed with the choice of pilot location as well.
One Woodward Close resident, Rachel Vasey, commented on the plans, and said: “The estate is known as Winnersh Farm, until recently the farmland was being used by a local farmer with rich farming heritage in the area.
“This should continue to be the case and not turn every green plot into an opportunity to build more houses especially since the infrastructure doesn't exist to support it.”
Another close resident, James Robinson, said the area is not suitable for housing, because it is outside of the settlement boundary.
In his comment, he added: “I appreciate this application has already been approved. Wokingham Council Land, majority Conservative councillors on the Planning Committee yet you insist on putting on this charade as if you listen to residents.”
Residents have until Monday, August 16, to comment on the plans.
They can be found under application number 212404, at: www.wokingham. gov.uk