Reading Golf Club (RGC) has not given up its plan to leave its home and sell it for housing.

Today it was revealed that the golf club had withdrawn its planning application to build 260 homes at the site by Kidmore End Road in Emmer Green.

The applicant’s agent, Jonathan Walton, explained that the application had been withdrawn because it was running out of time to meet the deadline of January's Planning committee due to the number of comments.

RGC had signed up developer Fairfax and housebuilder Redrow to deliver the family homes, planned at the south part of the site by Kidmore End Road.

READ MORE: More than 2,000 objections to golf club homes plan, campaigners say

More than 2,000 people have objected to the plans but the withdrawal is not a sign the club will give up on the plans.

Gary Stangoe, the General Manager of Reading Golf Club said: “Everything remains on track with our planning application and the club is continuing to engage constructively with Reading Borough Council (RBC) over its progress.

“Although we had hoped the application might be considered by the January planning committee, it became clear that deadline wouldn’t be possible, given the necessarily extensive responses and assessment work still involved with the application and the unique time and workload pressures everyone is facing during the current pandemic.

“As a result, with the council’s agreement, the original application was withdrawn and a revised application will be submitted shortly for continued consultations and robust assessment.

“This will ensure that enough time is available for everyone involved in the process to reach a considered and balanced position, allowing the application to be appropriately considered at a future committee meeting.

“Our relocation plans are continuing apace and planning permission has now been granted for our new club house at The Caversham (https://thecaversham.co.uk/).

“While the club will be leaving its present site by March, we remain committed to ensuring that our plans will leave a legacy for the benefit of Emmer Green and the surrounding communities.”

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The process of preparing and submitting the new application is underway and will take a couple of weeks, according to the club, which would not reveal what changes, if any, would be made to the application.

The club notified the council it wanted to withdraw the application on November 25.

The plans had drawn swathes of astonishment and fury from residents, who say the homes will spoil the area and claim there is not enough infrastructure to cope with 260 extra families in the area.

Responding to the news, Keep Emmer Green, a campaign group formed by local residents to oppose the plans, said: “For the more than 2,000 residents of Caversham, Emmer Green and South Oxfordshire who objected to the application, it is a small triumph, but one that cannot be celebrated as the club are already proposing a revised application in the new year.

“The club will claim that they are listening to local residents, but it is clear that after their discussions with the council their plans were set to be summarily rejected.

“We are in contact with RBC to understand the discussions that led to this decision, and would encourage local residents to sign up to the Keep Emmer Green mailing list to stay informed of the revised plans that we expect will be submitted shortly.

“We remain committed to ‘keeping Emmer Green’ for future generations, and thank local residents for their support.”

The council confirmed that, if new plans are submitted in the New Year for an alternative proposal, this will be allocated a new planning application reference number.

Public consultations will be happen again and comments submitted will need to refer to the new planning application reference number.