Aldermaston says no to 'noisy' business development

Aldermaston residents and parish councillors have rallied in opposition against ongoing building works at The Woodyard in Paices Hill.

Ruby Kaur, of Easy Concrete Services Ltd, applied for part retrospective permission to demolish a storage unit and construct a new storage unit and retaining wall.

West Berkshire Council has received dozens of objections and a community petition has now amassed up to 280 signatures against the proposal.

Works to regularise the levels on site — currently used for forestry and storage use — began several months ago and involved a cut and fill operation removing copious amounts of dirt.

But Aldermaston Parish Council has flagged numerous concerns with the proposal, including the impact of rising noise levels, the site's proximity to AWE, increased traffic and the significant earthworks made to the surrounding landscape.

It also noted the lack of detail concerning all aspects of the development, without which it says the application should not be approved.

The council reported a good attendance at its recent open forum and in a later closed session agreed to writing a long letter of opposition and a financial commitment to legal support if necessary.

Residents have also objected to the proposal, reflecting many of the same concerns.

"Additional trucks passing through residential area of Aldermaston Wharf on A340 at all hours of the day and night will not only disturb the peace and quiet of local residents, but it will also contribute to the already high levels of noise and air pollution in the area," said Sinan Suer.

"The introduction of a concrete mixing site and more HGVs to Aldermaston is inconsistent with the heritage of the local area and will not make Aldermaston a better place to live, learn or visit," added Mick Noad MBE, a principal technical adviser at AWE.

The application is currently under consideration by West Berkshire Council.