How To Respond

The formal consultations over the principle of building at Arborfield are now over, whilst we have significant concerns over how the consultations were conducted – despite a claimed ‘extensive’ campaign by Wokingham Borough Council to let residents know very few people were aware what was going on – there is little we can do as Wokingham Borough Council has adopted Arborfield as a site to take 3,500 houses. The main chances for not having any building at Arborfield rest squarely with the MoD – if they decide to reuse the Garrison in some other way the SDL will be non-viable – however that will also potentially mean open season for developers as 3,500 of the borough housing allocation will now have to be fitted in elsewhere, without the associated infrastructure planning that has gone in to the SDL at Arborfield.

However, even if development does go ahead at Arborfield, each application to build here is still required to go through the normal planning process. Once these applications start being made – the first is expected once the SDL masterplan is approved in late May – we will again have the opportunity to make our feelings known.

Alongside this site we have a Twitter feed, a Facebook page and also run an active Google Group/Mailing List which you are welcome to join.

Our campaign so far – in particular the volume of responses – has already had a significant effect with our local councillor Gary Cowan who, despite having endorsed the SDL plan in the press releases as part of his role as Executive Member for Local and Regional Planning, is now talking in terms of trying to get significant changes to the plan, particularly around existing areas of housing before the plan is adopted.

With a local and general election on May 6th, politicians at all levels will be keen to hear your views either as incumbent members of parliament or council, or as candidates. We would urge you to use every opportunity to challenge them over what they will do to get the best deal for Arborfield.

Key contacts include the following – where possible we have included both a postal address and internet contacts.

  • Gary Cowan, Councillor, 1 Barker Close, Arborfield, RG2 9NQ – Gary is our current local councillor and also Executive Member for Local and Regional Planning, and is standing for re-election on May 6th.
  • Steve Bacon, 45 Melrose Gardens Arborfield Reading Berkshire RG2 9PY – Steve is the Liberal Democrat candidate for the Arborfield Ward. Steve has previously been councillor for the village back before Wokingham was made a unitary authority.
  • Joan Huntley, 27a Nine Mile Ride, Finchampstead, Berkshire, RG40 4QD – Joan is the UK Independence Party candidate for Arborfield Ward.
  • The Rt. Hon John Redwood MP, House of Commons, Westminster, London, SW1A 0AA – John is our current Member of Parliament, and has been for more than twenty years, he is standing for re-election again this time around.
  • Mark Ashwell, Independent Candidate for Wokingham and West Berkshire, TradeMark Windows, Oaklands Park, Wokingham, RG41 2FD – Mark will be known to many people as the owner of Trademark Windows, and is active in many ways in the local community. Mark can also be found on Twitter.
  • Prue Bray, Liberal Democrat Candidate, 45, Bluebell Meadow, Winnersh, Wokingham, RG41 5UW – Prue Bray is again the Liberal Democrat candidate for the General Election. She is also the leader of the Liberal Democrat group on Wokingham Borough Council. Prue can also be found on Twitter.
  • George Davidson, Labour Party candidate – George is standing as the Labour Party candidate in Wokingham, and can be contacted through the local party website
  • Marjory Bisset, Green Party Candidate, 19 Hyde End Road, Shinfield, Berkshire, RG2 9EP – Marjory lives locally in Shinfield, the heart of one of the other strategic development locations.
  • Ann Zebedee, Ann is the Wokingham Constituency candidate for the UK Independence Party.

To help, we include below a selection of points that could be included in letters or comments towards the candidates:

  • Whilst I can understand the need to build on brown field sites currently occupied by the Arborfield Garrison, no development should start until the Garrison has closed and the brown field site has been vacated by the MoD
  • I completely object to the development of any green fields or the felling of any trees within the Arborfield SDL
  • If the Arborfield Garrison does not close, the whole Arborfield project becomes unviable. Does the WBC agree?
  • I am concerned about the building of 3,500 without adequate investment in transport for routes towards Reading/Wokingham/Bracknell/Basingstoke.
  • I utterly oppose the development of what is marked as “Area B” on the Arborfield SDL i.e. the area around Sheerlands Road and Tyler Drive for the following reasons:
    • it is currently a green field site
    • there are many mature trees, particularly opposite the entrance to Gerring Road and by the Community Centre. These trees home bats, woodpeckers, cuckoos and other wild animals. There is also a badger run in the area. Any tree felling would therefore endanger this wildlife. Do WBC agree that no tree felling should take place and that no animals should be killed?
    • currently, Gerring Road and Tyler Drive are relatively quiet areas traffic-wise, and as such provide a safe haven for children to play. Any development around Sheerlands Road and Tyler Drive would pose a real and severe threat to the safety of all the children caused by construction traffic and later from increased general traffic. Are WBC prepared to accept such a danger to our children’s lives?
    • I object to the dust and noise pollution that would be caused by any development around Tyler Drive and Sheerlands Road.
    • I object to the increased risk of flooding in the area, particularly along Sheerlands Road, that would be caused by any development on the green field sites
    • I object to the increased crime rate that would be caused by any developmet in Area B.
    • I object to the opening up of Whitehall Drive and Tyler Drive to busses, as indicated in the SDL. To do so would require both roads to be widened and the junction of Whitehall Drive, Tyler Drive and Baird Road to be enlarged, with busses travelling on what are currently cul-de-sacs and/or small roads. Again, this would increase the danger to our children, not to mention noise and air pollution for everyone close to the route.

Each resident in the affected areas (NOT each household – so partners can write their own letters!) has the right to make their feelings known, indeed even people who don’t live in the area but who would be affected can make comments. The more contacts by letter, e-mail, phone or whatever, the greater the profile Arborfield has.