Reading Golf Course Plans Announced
Reading Golf Course Public Consultation held in February 2020
What has been proposed?
RGC have proposed that around 250 houses, including 20% apartments, plus a health centre are developed on the golf course within Reading Borough, running to the boundary. The plan claims that the remainder of the land in South Oxfordshire is left as a ‘country park’, however the developers will retain it with the intention of building a possible additional 500 properties when they can get permission from SODC. The initial 250 houses is a foot in the door for further development.
Update (May 2020): The scoping document from RGC has been released; they have included an additional 25 properties to the 250, making 275 in Reading Borough land.
Update (June 2020): A new version of an indicative site layout (Dated May ‘20) from Fairfax / Reading Golf Club (RGC) has been released by RGC reducing the number and mix of dwellings from 275 to 260 which is still double the maximum number of homes specified in Policy CA1b of the Reading Borough Council Adopted Local Plan.
Update (August 2020): A planning application has been submitted by Reading Golf Course for 260 properties. It is now open for consultation.
What happened to the local plan?
You may remember that a local plan had been signed off for the whole of Reading Borough. CA1b was accepted in to the local plan to build between 90 and 130 houses, including a health centre, with legal protection to retain the remainder of the golf course as a functioning facility and putting a stop to further development. Unfortunately, it wasn’t enough for the developers, who have gone back for more.
What happens next?
Reading Golf Club and their developers Fairfax and Redrow homes are planning to submit their plans to Reading Borough Council, which will start a new public consultation on the plans by RBC. KEG hopes to address all of the points made in the planning application and gather enough local support to demonstrate to the council that Reading Golf Club’s plans are not welcome or sustainable in Emmer Green.
What can I do?
If you live in and around Emmer Green, including Caversham, Sonning Common, Reading Centre and Sonning Eye, then please join us in opposing unsustainable development of the local area. Please join the email newsletter to keep up to date.
