We’ve been made aware that Reading Golf Club (RGC) have finally decided to get in touch with the local community. It’s a strong sign that they’re getting worried by the sheer amount of opposition to their plans.

You have to read the leaflet carefully to figure out that RGC are in fact building a housing estate. Surprisingly, RGC make no mention of the 510+ cars, the pollution, the strain on local services and infrastructure, the major impact on local air quality and the destruction of wildlife, so we thought that we should go through and debunk their ‘promises’.

Don’t let RGC make empty promises; oppose this development. If RGC don’t get planning permission, the local community might finally get a say in what will happen to the land. Imagine 96 acres of land rather than a measly 17 - now that’s a real ‘country park’.

Fact Check! What ‘promises’ are being made?

“At least 17 acres of woodland and parkland becoming available for everyone, with the creation of a country park…”

The Golf Club’s land in South Oxfordshire consists of 66 acres – but what’s happening to the remaining 49 acres? Yes! They want to build on that too and have repeatedly tried to get the land in to the South Oxfordshire Local Plan for housing allocation. The 17 acres of land they refer to are areas that cannot feasibly be developed – Cucumber Wood, for example, which is an area of ancient woodland. RGC don’t seem to be aware, but the recognised definition of a ‘country park’ has to be at least 24 acres with facilities and parking; so no, they’re not creating a new country park, they’re planning for even more houses. Fairfax (the developers) have a 10 year option on the land to attempt to get planning through.

“1000 tree community orchard and allotments”

They might plant 1000 saplings as an attempt at recompense for all the trees they’re chopping down in Reading Borough, however the likely number of saplings to survive is usually significantly less. Saplings take years to absorb any greenhouse gases, these will be planted in another county, and as the Forestry Commission state “Ancient woodland, ancient trees and veteran trees are irreplaceable, you should not consider proposed compensation measures as part of your assessment of the merits of the development proposal”. There is no legal agreement in place to ensure these public spaces are kept, and if RGC intentions aren’t already clear, they want to surround any public space with even more development.

“A commitment to a minimum biodiversity net gain of 10%”

RGC have claimed this in the planning application, however it is not evidenced anywhere. It’s a check box exercise that it’s magically possible to increase the biodiversity of green field land by building loads of houses. If that was the case, let’s build over even more countryside and realise that 10% increase in wildlife!

“260 sought after and much needed family homes for Reading with the retained green space…”

We’ve mentioned this many times, but Reading doesn’t need another 260 properties. By the council’s own estimates, they have a ‘healthy supply’ of available brownfield land for building. This development also proposes 60 flats in various blocks.

“…Including [retaining] existing mature trees”

The developers planning document states “he Proposed Development will be removing 118 mostly mature trees from around the Site”. The statement in the leaflet is pure misinformation.

“A new medical centre, and a multi-million pound contribution to our community infrastructure”

The ‘medical centre’ could be a dentist, it could be a private consultant. Facilities are easy to build, getting the staff is the difficult bit, and the UK has the fewest doctors per person in Europe. The developers are obliged to pay Section 106 payments to the council, so the ‘multi-million pound contribution’ is what has been priced in to the profit that the developers will make. This ‘contribution’ does not have to be spent north of the river Thames.

Don’t let RGC make empty promises, don’t let RGC take local residents for granted; oppose this development before the 25th September.

Please ensure that you click the ‘Object’ button before you make your submission to the council (it defaults to ‘Observation’).

Council Planning Portal: http://planning.reading.gov.uk/fastweb_PL/detail.asp?AltRef=200713 →

Objection guidelines are here, you can write as little, or as much, as you want. →