Reasons for opposing Gladman…
A summary of reasons for opposing the Gladman plan.
This Gladman application would bring great harm to our area and threatens random sprawl in place of democratic Plan-Led development.
Both SODC and RBC exclude the area north of Reading in their Spatial Strategies
Application is for 245 homes on just under 14 hectares
The same landowner holds 1400 hectares from Emmer Green to Shiplake
The total holding could enable 20-25,000 houses in further applications
Would put every settlement from Sonning Common to Henley into Reading/Wokingham
1 hectare of farmland is worth about £25k, with planning permission value increases by 100 fold – to some £2.5m
If all 1400 hectares were to gain permission the total value would rise from c. £35m to c.£3.5 Billion (£3,500m).
Gladman is the applicant here and is a large speculator. They make money by taking a percentage of the landowners development gain. They generally don’t build.
Congestion growing for decades around the cross-Thames bridges and in Reading itself.
Reading needs green lungs – particularly given the current Air Quality issues (NOx, etc.)
The land north of Reading and the Thames across to Shiplake is ancient countryside which is key to the setting of Reading, the Thames and the Chilterns AONB
In fact much of this landowner’s land is the subject of a pre-pending application to Natural England to become designated as AONB land and fully part of the Chilterns AONB area. This application is supported the Conservation Board and all local communities.
This site is over the top of the Reading valley and slopes out to the wider countryside.
In terms of housing demand the ONLY settlement to which this application site attaches is that of Reading. Thus it belongs to that housing market area and Reading has a 5 year housing land supply! The only settlements in South Oxon with Spatial Strategy allocations over-delivered on those in their made NPs.
This site is poorly supported for infrastructure. It is disproportionately expensive for infrastructure and that suggested indicates fragmentation and impossible social cohesion.
There are serious cross-boundary issues with this site.
This application is random sprawl motivated by private greed with large environmental, social and economic costs. It would succeed in degrading Reading, South Oxon and the quality of life of their residents.
Wrong place!
