Agenda item

Recommendation: Conditional Approval

Proposed: Full application for the proposed development of a Park and Ride facility providing approximately 277 vehicular spaces, motorcycle parking and associated vehicular access and landscaping.

Applicant: Wokingham Borough Council.

The Committee received and reviewed a report about this application, set out in Agenda pages 13 to 44.

The Committee were advised that the Members’ Update included:

·       Details of a paper petition with 1,253 signatures which objected to the Park and Ride scheme;

·       Details of an additional objection to the application on the basis that it should not be considered by the Planning Committee;

·       Clarification on the operation of the Park and Ride and proposed monitoring of the nearby Waterside Centre car park;

·       Information on the shuttle bus frequencies between Reading town centre and Thames Valley Park;

·       Confirmation that the external lighting scheme, required under Condition 16, would include approval of the hours of operation.

Members had visited the site on Friday 4 November.

Bill Luck (Earley Town Council) spoke against the application. He raised concerns about the visual impact of the proposed park and ride facility, especially at night. He also stated that the proposed landscaping was inadequate and there would be a negative impact on local wildlife. He also expressed concern over the sustainability of the proposed surface water drainage system.

Councillor Andy Croy, Ward Member, spoke against the application. He stated that local residents were unanimous in their opposition to the proposal. He also felt that the scheme would have no significant impact on traffic flows in the area. Drivers using the park and ride would make a small financial saving but would see an increase in their journey times. A park and ride scheme with 277 spaces would not deliver enough benefits to offset the damage to the local environment and local wildlife.

Mary Bather, representing the North  Earley Residents Group, spoke against the application. She stated that the proposed park and ride scheme was too small and too close to Reading town centre to deliver any significant benefits. Conversely, it would have a significant negative impact on the environment, causing damage to local wildlife and impacting on the Thames National Trail. She felt that a full environmental impact assessment should be carried out before the proposal was considered by the Committee. 2,800 residents had opposed the proposal through the online and paper petitions submitted to the Council. She suggested that the site could be used for other purposes, such as recreation, which would have a much lower impact on the local environment.

Matt Gould, Wokingham Borough Council Highways, spoke in favour of the application. He stated that use of the site for a park and ride scheme was supported by the Council’s planning policies. The park and ride scheme would reduce the volume of traffic travelling into Reading town centre and would not require any additional buses as the existing shuttle service would be used. He stated that, as a result of a public consultation, the proposed park and ride facility had been moved further away from the towpath and would incorporate additional screening. The proposal was supported and funded by the Thames Valley Berkshire Local Enterprise Partnership. He also stated that Reading Borough Council had raised no objections to the proposal.

In response to a Member question Officers clarified that parts of the application site were located within the countryside. However, these areas were located between buildings and the railway embankment and were well screened from public vantage points. Consequently, it was considered that the scheme would not be significantly harmful in terms of countryside impact.

In response to a Member question it was confirmed that the proposed park and ride would operate Monday to Friday and would utilise the existing Thames Valley Park shuttle bus service. The site would be controlled by barriers and the lights would not be used at weekends.

Members raised questions about the projected usage of the park and ride facility and potential future transport schemes in the area such as the East Reading Mass Rapid Transit (MRT) link. Officers confirmed that the scheme would reduce the number of vehicles driving into Reading town centre and would not have a significant detrimental impact on the local highway network. The park and ride scheme was a stand-alone project which should be considered on its own merits irrespective of potential future transport schemes in the area.

In response to a Member question Officers confirmed that the applicant intended to reduce overall site levels which would reduce the visual impact and lessen the impact of the proposed lighting. Additional tree planting would also help to screen the site. The on-site lighting to be used would be covered by a condition which required detailed proposals relating to height, type and direction of light sources. It was suggested that, if the application was approved, the Chairman should be consulted about the detailed landscaping and lighting schemes to be delivered.

RESOLVED That:

1)    application No. 161596 be approved, subject to the conditions set out on Agenda pages 14 to 20;

2)    that the approval of detailed proposals relating to conditions 11 and 16 be carried out following consultation with the Chairman of the Planning Committee.