Concerns over Tadley development

Concern over revised plans for housing development at a gateway into the town

TADLEY town councillors have raised concerns about revised plans for a major housing development to be constructed at a gateway into the town.

The Government gave the go-ahead in June to Cala Homes to build 115 houses and apartments on the Boundary Hall site, in Tadley, following a public inquiry and over-ruling concerns by the Nuclear Installations Inspectorate.

The site lies 500-metres from the boundary of AWE, Aldermaston, which provides and maintains warheads for Britain's nuclear deterrent, Trident, and the NII had raised concerns about over-population in the area affecting

the speed of evacuation procedures in the event of any incident at AWE.

In October, Cala Homes submitted revised proposals, including moving a block of apartments away from a high pressure water main and the relocation of a substation.

Other revisions include the replacement of two plots with a different type of house to create a show area, terraced blocks to be replaced with semidetached houses, and semi-detached houses to be replaced with detached houses.

Some parking spaces are also to be resited under the proposals, to allow a turning space for fire engines.

The proposed changes were discussed last month by Tadley town councillors, who said that the changes were mostly cosmetic and, in the main, would improve the appearance of the estate.

However, in a statement following the meeting, the council has maintained its stance that the town cannot sustain a development of this size.

It said: “There are already considerable problems with drainage (foul and water storm) and waste water for existing properties and poor water pressure in some areas.”

The statement also highlighted that a new water tank in Rowan Road had been insufficient to alleviate problems in other parts of Tadley with “radical improvements” required elsewhere in the town.

It also noted that any increase in traffic was likely to cause severe problems on already congested roads in the vicinity of AWE, with public transport links limited, including bus services to neighbouring Basingstoke, and

Reading, and no links to rail stations in Bramley, Mortimer and Aldermaston, along with inadequate recreational facilities in the town.