Racecourse Bridge Row

A row has broken out over the timing of the construction of a new bridge at a new housing development

GREENHAM Parish Council has accused Newbury Racecourse of delaying the construction of a vital new access bridge which will stretch from Hambridge Lane, across the railway and to the racecourse.

One of the conditions placed on the new housing development at the racecourse, which will consist of up to 1,500 homes and a 120-bedroom hotel, was the construction of the bridge upon completion of the first 250 homes, which will provide the main access to the site and also alleviate construction traffic.

There have long been concerns over the impact the project would have on local roads, with some Newbury town councillors previously describing the potential congestion as “horrendous”.

But Greenham Parish Council, which was already concerned that the bridge was not scheduled in the first stage of construction, now claims that the developers are trying to push back the construction date for the bridge even further, which they fear would mean more congestion for longer.

The two parties disagree over the meaning of a single word: completion.

Greenham Parish Council claims that the developer in line with the planning permission granted by West Berkshire Council must construct the bridge upon completion of the first 250 units, while the developer, David Wilson Homes, claims that it has until the completion of the occupation of 250 units before they need to build the bridge.

The chairwoman of Greenham Parish Council's racecourse working group, Diane Smith, told the Newbury Weekly News: “The condition placed on the racecourse for opening of the bridge was 250 completions rather than occupations. This was to avoid the possibility that all 450 homes in the western section, plus the hotel, would be built and the building of the bridge then postponed or cancelled.”

The project director for the redevelopment of Newbury Racecourse, Mark Ashall, has rejected her view and said: “In accordance with our agreed planning conditions, we will be providing a new bridge following the completion of 250 properties at Newbury Racecourse. This means that no more than 250 homes will be occupied by residents when the bridge is built, however construction may be slightly more advanced.”

District Councillor Tony Vickers (Lib Dem, Northcroft), who proposed the conditions made on the developer, said that he thought most people would interpret the word completion as referring to the date of construction, not sale.

He said: “As a lay person, most people will expect the completion in terms of a planning application to refer to the physical building, rather than the completion of the sale, but lets hope the housing market picks up and the houses sell straight of the plan, so that the distinction doesn't matter.”

Councillor Roger Hunneman (Lib Dem, Victoria) agrees: “It is my understanding that they cannot go and construct more than 250 units before constructing the bridge, though some of these may already be occupied.”