Agreement struck with Sterling developer over long-awaited link road

West Berkshire Council entered into an agreement with a potential Sterling industrial estate developer last Thursday night, for the construction of a link road – which will extend eastwards from Sainsbury’s through Sterling Industrial Estate to the Hambridge Road/Boundary Road junction, providing a bypass for Kings Road and Mill Lane – with some of the funding anticipated to come from the Berkshire Local Transport Body.
The deal will also allow the developer, Nelson Geneva, to build 166 houses on the site, a proposal that had been turned down previously.
A stalemate situation had developed between the council, which wanted a bypass included in the project, and Nelson Geneva, which said that it was too expensive given that the site needed to be decontaminated and the council wanted to limit the height of the buildings.
However, in May, the council applied for a share of funding from the Berkshire Local Transport Body, which would be used to co-fund the link roadwith the developer and make the housing scheme more viable.
While all six Berkshire authorities have submitted bids, the Kings Road link scheme, which is expected to cost £2.5m excluding land to be provided by the developer, is said to be well- placed to receive the funding.
The portfolio holder for highways and transport at West Berkshire Council, Pamela Bale (Con, Pangbourne), said the outcome should be known by the summer.
As a result, members of the executive committee were required to approve an exception to the council’s contract rules of procedure by entering into the agreement that it would not be conducting a tender process for the work.
Subject to planning permission being granted, the link will be constructed at the same time as the development.
Mrs Bale said: “The developer can achieve savings by constructing the road and the development together.
These savings would be shared with the council.”
The cost of decontaminating the site will be met by the developer.
A formal agreement between the council and the developer is now being drawn up by council officers.