We are formed of over 1,900 subscribers and volunteers in the South Oxfordshire, Emmer Green, Caversham and the wider Reading area against the over-development of Emmer Green
The current application, coupled with the potential development at Caversham Park will change the face of Emmer Green forever. The Reading Golf Club development promises 1000 extra car journeys every day, the loss of three times more open land than envisaged in the local plan, the destruction of over 100 trees; no third bridge, no healthcare provision and no extra school places.
All Labour Councillors approve the development (as of 2nd March 2022), performing a remarkable U-Turn on their previous objections. We are doing our best now to mitigate the effects of the development, whenever it might start.
Timeline of events
Summer 2022
Land is sold to Vestry (owner of Bovis/ Linden homes) who put up fencing round the entire site.
March 2022
Despite being entirely contrary to the local plan, and after 4000 objections were received by the council, all Labour councillors approved the development for 223 houses. Shortly afterwards the land broker removed their appeal for 257 properties. KEG decided (not unanimously) against the expensive and protracted judicial review, which had a low chance of success, as cards are seemingly stacked against residents.
February 2022
The developers have appealed the decision to reject the application for 257 properties that was heard back in the summer of 2021. We believe this is a tactic to try and force the Council’s hand to accept the application for 223 properties. Will it work? We’re not sure. At the very least it’s a good sign that the developer is getting a bit desperate, and surely won’t be well appreciated by the Council.
January 2022
The developers are back again with a copy and paste scheme with slightly fewer flats, coming in at 223 properties, yet still developing the entirety of 33 acres in complete contradiction to the local plan. The public consultation has now closed with over 4,000 objections received by the Council.
July 2021
The council has unanimously rejected this poorly thought out scheme for 257 flats and houses (application 210018). We do expect that the developer will either appeal or moderately change their plans and resubmit another application.
March 2021
The public consultation closed on the 18th March. KEG has submitted our own objections and made the council’s inspectors aware of the litany of errors and omissions in the application. We can confirm that the council has received over 3,000 objections to the application, another record for Reading Borough.
February 2021
The application has now been validated and is surprisingly similar to the one that was withdrawn in November. The ‘new’ application proposes 257 properties, 4 more trees to be cut down, and marginally less open space. We advise residents to object even more strenuously to demonstrate that 2000 voices do matter, despite what Reading Golf Club and Fairfax think.
January 2021
A new planning application has been submitted, though we believe that this will be only a small adjustment from the previous application due to the quick turn-around time.
November 2020
The planning application 200713 was withdrawn for the development. The council received over 2000 objections to the application, including many club members, with only around 100 comments of support; most of whom had an affiliation to the golf club.
September 2020
A planning application was submitted for a development of at least 260 houses on Reading Golf Course, with an allocation for 590 cars. We advised local residents to object to these plans.
We are fundraising for future costs for the campaign →
why should i care?
Traffic
The proposed development will clearly impact Emmer Green residents the most, however with traffic and pollution in Reading already at unsustainable levels, further development will affect residents in Caversham, Sonning and Sonning Common where traffic is already at a standstill in normal circumstances.
Emmer Green primary school
The development is right behind Emmer Green Primary School, and will last for 5 years, Monday - Saturday, 8am - 6pm. Do you want your child’s entire primary school experience to be tainted by jack hammers, piling rigs and chalk dust? Chalk dust in particular is especially harmful to children.
Urban Sprawl
The golf club represents 96 acres of green space in the middle of Emmer Green, providing a valuable ‘green lung’ for the town. Despite being run as a golf club for the past 110 years, it still has a lot of wildlife including badger setts, bats and numerous birdlife and should be protected as a community asset.
a foot in the door
This is only the first phase of development - the club’s largest area is in South Oxfordshire and could potentially accommodate a further 400 properties. Despite claiming that the land is for public use as a 'country park', the golf club have clearly stated that the land in South Oxfordshire will be progressed for planning approval - the first phase is just a foot in the door.
Can THE DEVELOPERS BE STOPPED?
No. We won’t know if we don’t try. The slightly smaller Gladman’s development near the water tower in Emmer Green has been stopped in its tracks by determined local opposition. But we need your support. The more responses we get in council consultations the more likely that planning will be refused. Even if it’s as little as a share on social media, a friendly email, or mentioning it to someone else, everything helps.
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We proposed a sustainable vision for north Reading called “Grove Arboretum”
