Residents plan protest against garrison 'greenfield' proposals
Adam Hewitt • Published 27 May 2010 12:00
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CAMPAIGNERS who fear that green fields will be covered in hundreds of homes are protesting tomorrow (Friday).
Arborfield Garrison Residents Action Group (Ag-Rag) wants Wokingham Borough Council to "come clean about the green". It thinks plans to develop the garrison, when and if the Ministry of Defence departs, will mean too much building on land outside the base.
Ag-Rag chairman Martin Rutter said: "We have studied the plans and fear almost 70% will be on 'greenfield' land."
Another member, Gill Purchase, said: "How can a council state it will protect the 'rural environment', when it is giving the go-ahead to rip it up and build houses on it? I do not oppose plans for the development but it must take place on brownfield sites. Leave the green fields alone."
The group is posting letters to senior Government ministers with its concerns as part of its protest in Arborfield. The garrison is one of four strategic development locations (SDLs) in the borough, destined to take the thousands of homes that must be built under Government planning laws.
Cllr Angus Ross, executive member for planning, said: "All of the SDLs are on greenfield land with the exception of Arborfield, which has part brownfield - in fact part of the garrison is greenfield and part brownfield, so making a calculation of 70% greenfield overall difficult and potentially misleading."
He said concentrating development in the SDLs will protect existing residential areas from garden-grabbing developments and added: "What is important is that new housing development is accompanied by the infrastructure needed to build a community here. The draft masterplan has therefore been designed so that the main district centre, community and other key infrastructure can start early in the process. In the draft masterplan these are largely to be provided on the greenfield part of the site.
"The council has never indicated in any of its options that development would be restricted to the brownfield part of the site."
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