I received a letter from Wokingham Council last week about the Sibly Hall Development that is causing so much concern for local residents. It would seem from the letter that the planning application may be approved.
I really do think that this would be a disaster for local residents not only with the loss of one of the last remaining open green spaces in Earley, but also from the amount of pressure it will put on local resources and a serious increase in local traffic on what are already overcrowded local roads.
I understand that Reading University needs to move ahead, but building 80 plus houses and swallowing up this green open space is not welcomed by any local residents.
The Governments Localism Act was, amongst other elements supposed to deliver more say to local communities about what happens in their own ‘backyard’. From what I have seen during this drawn out planning application phase is a complete disregard for local concerns by Reading University.
At least Earley Town Council has turned down the application. However, they don’t have the final say as Wokingham Council planning committee will meet on the 8th February and as can be seen by the letter the application is recommended for approval.
Let’s hope that some common sense prevails at that meeting and if as well attended as the Earley Town Council meeting – some 40+ people – Wokingham Planning Committee will understand the level of opposition to this planned housing development.
Information can be found on the letter if you want to attend the meeting and if you want to lobby the members of the Planning Committee prior to the meeting, their names and email addresses can be found here.
See you at the meeting.
Although more information is to come, it would appear that ETC agreed at the meeting last night that if local Earley residents can put forward a case for judicial review of the Sibly Hall planning decision made by Wokingham Council, the ETC Town Clerk will seek legal advice and put the matter to the next ETC Planning Committee on 6th March who would on the basis of the advice received recommend to the full council to proceed or not.
Beasley's Place 