Housing Opposed All Along The Kennet Valley

Local political figures have recently been very active in making representations over where proposed housing developments are to take place.

Reading East MP, Rob Wilson is due to to make a submission to the inquiry on the contentious 500-home plan for a site at Sandford Farm. He says, "this development is not in the best interest of the people of Woodley" and highlights the problems of flood risks, congestion caused by additional traffic and the potential pitfalls of building on a disused landfill.

Meanwhile to the south and west of the town opposition to development comes from the LibDems and Labour.

Theale councillor Alan Macro is concerned about West Berkshire's blueprint to add 450 houses, which he says will wreck the character of the village and effectively turn it into a suburb of Reading (in addition to worries similar to those raised by Mr Wilson).

In between Sandford Farm and Theale, the Kennet Meadows floodplain has been the location for a massive plan to build 7,500 houses, which Southcote councillor Pete Ruhemann hopes will be placed in trust to safeguard the open space and maintain it as a wildlife sanctuary available to all in the community and thereby end a 30-year threat from commercial exploitation by restricting developments to 'essential infrastructure'.

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Update: Cllr Willis enters controversial territory by exposing Labour's duplicitous claim to be the guardian of the Kennet Meadows. In contrast he claims the credit should go to West Berkshire Conservatives for their consistent campaigning to protect the landscape.

Oranjepan Asks:
In whose backyard do residents want new houses?