Sandford Farm plans finally given the go-ahead
Published 20 Jan 2012 08:00
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DEVELOPERS breathed a sigh of relief when much-disputed plans to develop a former Woodley landfill site were finally given the nod of approval.
Wokingham Borough Council planning committee voted unanimously in favour of granting permission to build 468 homes, a 150-unit retirement community, a community centre and shops and offices on Sandford Farm in Mohawk Way after a heated debate last Wednesday which lasted more than two hours.
Peter Witherington, who spoke on behalf of the developers Taylor Wimpey, told the planning committee: "We have been working on this project for a number of years and the land is clean and suitable to use.
"Extensive monitoring of the ground water has shown that contamination is limited, so we know the remediation work can go ahead.
"The Environment Agency has confirmed that this can go ahead without impacting the River Loddon and mitigation is in place to protect the residents."
But Woodley Town councillor Phil Challis said: "It is not good practice to dig up landfill within 10 metres of houses and there are safer and more sustainable sites, but we recognise we are at a stage where development on this site is inevitable."
The developers launched a successful appeal in November 2009 against Wokingham's decision to refuse the proposal nine months earlier, and the number of homes due to be built on the site has since been reduced by 24.
Cllr Annette Drake said: "I am not convinced the monitoring of the noise and dust has been adequately addressed.
"If you visualise the cells of the site, some deposited as far back as the 1970s, the smells they will uncover will be truly awful and residents could have a very uncomfortable time."
Councillors also approved an application from the developers for remediation work to be carried out on the site.
Cllr Jenny Lissaman, who sits on the planning committee, said: "I rather like this application, it is better than the previous one.
"It is time we got on and built something."
The application was given the green light with a condition of changing the operating hours from 7.30am-6pm to 8am-6pm, and Woodley Town councillors are now demanding that money generated from the project is spent in the town.
This article appeared in Reading Chronicle 20 Jan 12
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