Question

The building of Addington School and car park on a much loved local green space, part of a Site of Urban Landscape Value (SULV), was highly controversial at the time. In itself the decision involved reducing the boundary of the SULV and led directly to further reductions in the SULV with a government inspector allowing an intrusive development to the rear of Pitts Lane, Goals Soccer with its pavilion, parking, and intrusive bright lights, and the loss of a playing field to development on the other side of Woodlands Avenue. Given the sensitivity of the location it amazes me that you did not plan for the future and design for extra capacity to be built into the original School building (quoted by Heather Thwaites in Get Reading as being 'fit for the 21st Century') so that the current situation could have been avoided.  As you did not do this how can you justify your action of putting yet another blot on the landscape by carving yet another chunk out of the SULV to facilitate your cheap and ill thought out choice of option 1B?

Answer

I think part of the question response I have already given to the previous question but just to correct you the existing proposed expansion of the Addington School, provided the Executive gives the go ahead, is within the same curtilage of the Addington School which it currently is at the moment.  So if you look at the plan that is what it is.  It is not taking any additional land from the SULV it is actually the same within the boundary.  Also obviously 10 years’ ago there was a demand but now obviously demand has been increasing by 5% since 2015 and the demand is increasing so therefore we have to make provisions for the future.

Supplementary question

I have looked at the plans and looked at the layout and it seems to me that part of the SULV was being taken to put car parking on.  It is an area where trees have been grown and have been surviving for quite a long time.  Maybe I am incorrect as it is quite a long report to read.

Are you saying that we have to watch our green space being further eaten away because our Council did not forward plan?  Because it sold off the old Addington site and because it is not prepared to build a satellite school anywhere else because it is too difficult to manage and because of this incompetency we, the residents who rely on a bit of open green space for our pleasure, enjoyment and sanity have to watch you (this is addressed to the Executive Member) who live in leafy Wokingham Without systematically destroy it?

Supplementary answer

In the report it says as well that the extension is within the curtilage of the Addington School so again I will say that there is no additional land being taken.  Again I have spoken to the relevant people and that is my understanding.  Again we can discuss that.  But there is no intention to take anything further.  Also think of the benefits as well that this is going to bring to the Addington School with the additional 50 spaces we are creating.  It will have a positive impact on the children, it will have a positive impact on families as well, and will also be hugely beneficial for the tax payer as well.