Residents urged to join Pincent's Hill protest

Alex Gore • Published 8 Sep 2008 14:00 6 Comments

RESIDENTS are being urged to join a protest tomorrow night (Tuesday) against development company Blue Living which plans to build up to 1,000 homes on the ‘green wedge' between Tilehurst and Theale.

Blue Living, and its sister company Beyond Green, will be presenting the results of a five-day long design inquiry to a public meeting in the Calcot Centre, Highview, from 6.30pm.

But campaigners incensed by the very idea of building on the Pincents Hill site will be out in force to demonstrate their opposition and are urging anyone who feels passionately about the situation to join them.

Campaigner Joan Lawrie said: "Blue Living have secured most of the 36 acres required to build 1,000 houses on the first development with an option on another 11 acres. There would be upwards of 3,500 people on this site with at least another 1,5000 vehicles.

"Blue Living would lead us to suspect that they have both Government and Council backing as they have been in "unoffical discussions" with the council and over 100 organisations for months now to see what they would like to be incorporated.

"At last Thursday's meeting a Blue Living spokesman virtually told us ‘shut up and accept it, its going to happen if not now then on appeal, so get used to the idea.'

"All the evidence suggest that they have government and council backing and it will need really fierce organised opposition to fight this."

The developers have held the design enquiry prior to drawing up any concrete plans and submitting an official planning application to gain both public input and support.

But despite both Tilehurst and Theale parish councils and Reading West MP Martin Salter speaking out against any proposal, the developers remain confident that West Berkshire Council's need to meet a government housing target of 10,500 by 2026 will work in its favour.

Mr Salter said: "I share the view of both Theale and Tilehurst parish councils that the retention of this green wedge is of paramount importance.

"I am deeply suspicious of anything proposed by a developer that is called a ‘Design Enquiry'. This smacks of a PR exercise designed to soften up public opinion. Planning enquiries are not organised by developers, they are run by independent inspectors and that's how it should be.

"I'm not saying that there is zero potential for development in this area but the size of the land involved raises serious concerns about the long established settlement boundaries and the future impact on traffic and the local environment"

For more information on the protest call Joan Lawrie on 0118 932 3032

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This article appeared in Reading Chronicle 08 Sep 08

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