West Berkshire Council to acquire vital piece of land for A339 junction

Compulsory purchase powers to be used to buy land leading on to London Road Industrial Estate

WEST Berkshire Council has finally decided to go ahead with plans to acquire a vital piece of land needed to build an access road off the A339 on to the London Road Industrial Estate (LRIE).

Councillors voted in favour of using a Compulsory Purchase Order (CPO) to buy the land from Faraday Development Limited (FDL).

It is the third time councillors had been due to vote on the issue and the fifth time the item appeared on the agenda following a number of council blunders including legal issues, technical inaccuracies and changes in circumstance.

At the special meeting last night (Thursday) Garth Simpson (Con, Cold Ash) explained that the proposed junction is essential to the redevelopment of the LRIE which would lead to much needed homes, retail units and jobs.

The junction will include a set of traffic signals on the A339 around 230m south of the Robin Hood roundabout leading into Fleming Road and, in turn, into Faraday Road on the LRIE.

The council will also need to acquire a small piece of land in Victoria Park from Newbury Town Council.

Speaking at the meeting Anthony Pick (Con, St Johns), who is also chairman of Newbury Town Council planning and highways committee said: “I wish to make clear that this project has the support of Newbury Town Council.

He added that the town council welcome and accept the advantages that the redevelopment will bring to Newbury as well as the predicted improvement in traffic flow around the town.

Councillors voted almost unanimously in favour of pushing ahead with the use of a Compulsory Purchase Order to aquire the land, with Lee Dillon (Lib Dem, Thatcham North) abstaining.

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