FINCHAMPSTEAD residents are pushing back against the suggestion to build more than 250 homes off Barkham Ride.
Ray Little believes the borough council has “played on semantics” about parish boundaries, over its suggested development site at Rooks Nest Farm.
It has been included in the draft local plan update under suggested development sites for consideration, for 270 homes.
The farm sits on the Barkham side of the boundary between the two parishes, and Mr Little believes that it will have a big impact on Finchampstead residents.
“The irony is that although the Rooks Nest development is in Barkham, our friends there may be not be much affected by it,” he said. “The nearest significant Barkham settlement is around the end of Bearwood Road, about a mile away.
“Not so [for] Finchampstead. The houses start a stone’s throw from the farm, on and on both sides of Barkham Ride.
“Rooks Nest might just as well be in Finchampstead, for it is Finchampstead who will feel the brunt of it.”
Mr Little is urging Finchampstead residents to object against the development.
Another resident, Peter Harper, has launched a petition on Change.org against the site, which has gathered more than 380 signatures.
In the petition, he wrote: “The proposal would see [more than] 100 acres of farmland and sensitive natural habitat given over for development, losing a critical local resource forever.
“The site is adjacent to a Site of Special Scientific Interest (SSSI) and would remove a key habitat for Longmoor Bog.”
Mr Little added: “If nothing else, just think of the traffic 270 homes will generate — probably at least 600 cars.
“Think of the pressure on Finchampstead schools and its outstanding medical practice which is already absorbing the population of the new Arborfield.
“If Rooks Nest is lost, where next on that green and pleasant rural ride?”
Mr Little said that a campaign group called Save Rooks Nest is being formed to fight any development of the site.
He believes that the site will also be opposed by Finchampstead borough councillors and some parish councils.
A leaflet has been distributed to households in Finchampstead, with advice on how residents can share their views.
Cllr David Cornish, parish councillor for South Ward, has offered to help the community with the best “planning language” to use in any responses to the consultation.
Cllr John Kaiser, Conservative councillor for Barkham urged residents to share their views on the official consultation form online.
He said: “Nobody wants development near to them and it’s great that the community sign petitions, but I would urge all those people to engage in the consultation so their individual views form part of the decision-making process, so the next step in the local plan will be fully informed as to what residents think.
“I hear from people that the council just pays lip service to consultations which is not the case. I would like to assure them this local plan update is such an important document as regards to the future development within the borough. So far as I am concerned all comments will be taken very seriously.”
Cllr Kaiser also said that all development in the borough must be supported by necessary infrastructure before homes are built, and be sustainable.
He said: “There is no doubt the roads around the that area would need to be substantially upgraded before any development is agreed or even considered, not least because any application which does not deliver the infrastructure needed will fail.”
Cllr Kaiser said that the draft local plan is based on housing numbers generated by the government.
He added: “Failure to follow these rules will result in planning by appeal, meaning every piece of land and green field in the borough is put at risk of unsuitable and unsustainable development.
“The council has won most of the appeals against its refusal of applications but only because it has a plan and a five-year land supply.
“If this situation ceased to exist, very few if any of those appeals would have been found in the council’s favour and no doubt, we would see those very sites being resubmitted along with many more.”
Responses to the draft local plan update can be emailed to: lpu@wokingham.gov.uk or completed online at: engage.wokingham.gov.uk/en-GB/projects/right-homes-right-places-local-plan
The deadline for responses is Monday, January 17.
