We are now waiting for Reading Borough Council (RBC) to verify the planning application from Reading Golf Club (RGC) before it is published on the RBC website.
In the meantime, we wanted to reiterate that RGC appears to be taking a two-pronged approach to get permission to build housing on all of their land. They are suggesting the land in South Oxfordshire will be a ‘green gift’ to the local community while at the same time quietly trying to get it included in South Oxfordshire’s Local Plan which could in time lead to a further 350 homes on this land in addition to the 260 homes on the Reading land.
Recent statements by Reading Golf Club (RGC) to their members contain some confusing and potentially misleading information. For the avoidance of doubt, we are distributing this newsletter to KEG subscribers in case there are misunderstandings.
There is a big difference between the Planning Application to Reading Borough Council and the submission made in 2019 to South Oxfordshire District Council (SODC) which includes numerous documents in connection with the SODC Emerging Local Plan.
Planning Application to Reading Borough Council (RBC)
This is to build 260 homes on Reading Golf Club land in Reading Borough. It is likely to be an Outline Planning Application with details of the proposed development including a large number of supporting documents relating to the impact on traffic, pollution, environment, health care, education, etc. There will be an opportunity during the following three months for everyone to object or comment.
Be aware that if this Outline Planning Application is approved by the council it will open the door for the developers to proceed with detailed planning submissions and the development will almost certainly happen.
Submission by Reading Golf Club to South Oxfordshire District Council (SODC)
This was submitted to SODC in February 2019 and argues that the SODC Local Plan is unsound and that Reading Golf Club’s land in SODC should be included as a site for housing in the South Oxfordshire Local Plan 2034.
To date, SODC has rejected this land for two reasons. Firstly because of spatial strategy and secondly because they have sufficient sites elsewhere to meet their housing target.
The Golf Club has however made an attempt to get their land in South Oxfordshire included in the SODC Local Plan.
This month a Government Inspector will hold a Public Hearing to determine whether or not the SODC Local Plan 2034 is sound. It is possible that the Inspector could ask SODC to review the sites to be included in the Plan once more and if that is the case, then a further public consultation will be required to consider all potential sites which would presumably include the Golf Club land in South Oxfordshire.
Clearly, these are two different matters with very different timescales and risks.
Access Points
In our previous newsletter, we informed you about the SODC Local Plan 2034 and we highlighted three access points. These were obtained from documents submitted to SODC by the Reading Golf Club and they are accessible to anyone on the SODC website
Click here to access the submissions from Reading Golf Club to SODC on the Local Plan web page. Look under ‘R’ and then ‘Reading Golf Club’
In their circular to Members sent out on 30th June 2020 Reading Golf Club has clarified that the access point shown in Highdown Hill Road is not for vehicular access. This clarification is welcomed but it does not clarify whether the same is true for the two remaining access points shown on the plan. We will endeavour to get this clarification from the Golf Club.
To date the Club has not shared with anyone their plans for development of the land within SODC other than stating in April that parts of the land to the north and west of Cucumber Wood (within SODC) would be the last to be proposed for planning approval.
This would make sense as without the development in SODC nothing near a six-figure pay-out to their members will be achieved. We look forward to seeing plans for the SODC land as soon as possible so that local residents can be fully aware of the Club’s long-term plans for the whole of their land.
Public Access
Further confusion may have resulted from the Club's statement that there will be public access to fully usable open spaces. This will be in the Planning Application to Reading Council.
We believe this statement to be misleading for two reasons.
a) Based on the indicative plan within the proposed development on the Reading land there is only one (fairly small) open space. We think this will be used mainly by the residents from the proposed new houses and only accessible to the public by walking to it via the suburban main road into the development. It does not really meet the description of being a fully usable open space. Public spaces within a development are to be welcomed however at this stage it is not clear who will be responsible for maintaining them. Will the cost be borne by the Council, the developer, or the residents via a maintenance levy and will the work be done by third party contractors who may have little regard for the careful maintenance of the site and the protection of ancient woodland?
b) The only “really open” space that RGC are saying they will offer to the local community is the valley in SODC that runs from Kidmore End Road (close to Crawshay Drive) through to the bottom of Gravel Hill. They are suggesting that this land will become a public park but this could only happen if RGC and SODC entered into a legal agreement to transfer ownership of the land to SODC to maintain it forever for the benefit of the local residents. Alternatively, the developer could agree to take on the maintenance although this is unlikely to happen.
RGC want all the rest of the land in South Oxfordshire to be developed and Fairfax Properties have a 10 year option to try to obtain planning approval. Fairfax therefore have a very strong incentive to keep trying to obtain approval at least until that time period has passed since they will no doubt be getting a substantial percentage of the proceeds of sale to a house builder.
To summarise, the RGC planning strategy appears to be a dual approach: firstly to build 260 homes on the Reading land whilst suggesting the remaining SODC land will be a green gift to the local community; and secondly, quietly trying to get most of the remaining SODC land included in SODC's Local Plan which could in time lead to a further 350 homes in addition to the 260 homes on the Reading land.
Please share this with your family, neighbours and friends in the local community because with continued support from everyone in the community we will be able to put forward a strong opposition to the development on the Golf Course in both Reading and South Oxfordshire districts.
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