Theale Parish Council objects to 325 home lakeside proposal

Village 'will not be able to cope' with another 1,000 people

THE impact of 325 homes on Theale’s roads and sewage system, and the village’s apparent inability to cope with the development, led to Theale Parish Council objecting to a lakeside scheme.

Central Corporation Securities Ltd (CCS) is seeking to build family homes and apartments at Lakeside, which it says will develop the derelict and underused site.

Plans for 350 homes and an office block on the south side of the lake, submitted by British Land, were approved on appeal in 2007.

The new plans would see homes built on three sides of the lake with access coming from The Green and St Ives Close.

Representatives from CCS told residents at a meeting on Monday that site contamination, a covenant on the site and the financial crash had led to the 2007 scheme not going ahead.

They added that CCS and British Land had agreed to remove the covenant so that the entire site could be developed, with the land now effectively under one ownership.

However, the fine detail of the application would need to be determined once a developer bought the site.

Nevertheless, CCS representatives argued that a reduction in the housing density, the creation of more family homes and opening up the lake as an amenity to the village was an improvement on the 2007 scheme.

But the vice chairwoman of the parish council, Becky Williams, said that another 1,000 people would add pressure on the already strained doctors and schools in the village.

“There’s nothing in [the plan] that’s remotely thought about infrastructure as to how can this village cope with another 1,000 people,” she said.

In response, one CCS representative said: “We believe what we are doing is improving on what was already consented.

“I’m sure there’s a lot of people here who would want nothing but that’s not going to happen.

“We believe it’s better for Theale.”

To which one resident replied: “Just because it’s better than the last scheme doesn’t mean it’s right for our village.”

The application also includes a 70-bed extra care unit, which will back on to the roundabout at the junction of the A340 and the A4.

Parish council chairman Charles Bateman said that the care facility would be built on one of the nosiest parts of the site but CCS said that the building design and acoustic screening would reduce noise.

Mr Bateman also said that traffic turning right out of the development would put more pressure on the busy High Street.

CCS responded by saying: “It’s about sustainability.

“Do you want people to turn right and use the village or turn left and ignore the village?

“We are happy to go with whatever we are told.

“The British Land scheme has everything turn left.

“If that’s what [West Berkshire Council] want; that’s what will happen.”

Parish councillor Alan Clark said that the 40mph speed limit on The Green would need to be lowered or a crossing would have to be installed in order for people to reach the two village schools.

Commenting on the application, Thames Water said it had identified an inability of the existing waste water infrastructure to accommodate the needs of the extra homes.

The district councillor for Theale, Alan Macro (Lib Dem), said the village had problems with sewage water during periods of heavy rain.

He added that this was the first time he had seen the company raise concerns over a planning application.

Parish councillor Iain Hopcroft said there were some positives to the scheme but sewage and highways safety were the two key issues surrounding the application.

Mr Macro added that the new scheme was certainly better than the current one but he had his own reservations.

Mrs Williams proposed that the parish council objected as there were too many concerns surrounding the application, which was carried by seven votes.

A decision is expected from West Berkshire Council by Tuesday, January 12, 2016.

To view the application enter 15/02842/OUTMAJ.