ARBORFIELD residents are calling on the council to take action against car meets in the borough, and said they fear lives will be lost if nothing is done.
Over the past few weeks, villagers alleged up to 200 cars have been breaking speed limits on Observer Way and creating a disturbance on evenings and weekends.
One resident, who wishes to remain anonymous, said drivers have been traveling from Riseley, through Shinfield and into Arborfield. They then either head towards Farnborough or park in Hogwood Industrial Estate, and said their presence is leaving people anxious.
“People have been driving at more than 100 miles per hour down the relief road,” the resident explained. “They’ve also been drag racing.”
According to the resident, the car meets are being arranged by a group of organisers over social media.
They said people have been turning up in Arborfield and revving their car engines, sometimes lighting fireworks too.
Oftentimes, the motorists will arrive quietly and suddenly begin making lots of noise, which includes backfiring car exhausts, the resident added.
“Over the weeks, it’s gradually got worse,” they said. “There are more and more vehicles turning up, later in the evening, causing even more noise.
“It’s affecting our elderly residents who are starting to get anxious.”
They said some people are now too nervous to sit in their back gardens or sleep in bedrooms which face Observer Way because of the disruption.
“We [villagers] have been reporting it to the police for antisocial behaviour and terrorising the neighbourhood,” the resident said.
According to Gary Cowan, independent councillor for Arborfield, businesses at Hogwood Industrial Estate have taken matters into their own hands in an effort to put a stop to the motorists, installing humps to stop motorists drifting around the site.
Cllr Cowan has accused the organisers of the car meets of “threatening lives, peace and quiet” in the village.
Now, the Arborfield resident is now calling on Wokingham Borough Council to take action against the motorists, and worries businesses and local amenities will move elsewhere if the disruption continues.
“I think the council should take out an injunction to stop this,” they said. “In the West Midlands, councils have banded together and created a ‘car cruising injunction’ to ban cruisers in the area.
“I think Wokingham Borough Council should be considering this.”
Cllr Cowan has also supported the resident’s call for action, saying: “I believe the council has a duty of care and a responsibility to residents to stop this sort of antisocial behaviour that puts lives at risk.
“They need to act now as a matter of some urgency before there is loss of life or serious damage within our community, as a direct result of cruising in our borough.”
He said residents who have contacted TVP or the borough council “appear to be left out in the cold, on their own without any real support”.
Simon Price, assistant director for neighbourhoods and communities, said Wokingham Borough Council takes all reports of anti-social behaviour seriously.
Cllr John Kaiser, Conservative councillor for Barkham, said the motorists’ behaviour is “dangerous” and “antisocial”.
“Thames Valley Police has made it clear to us that it’s something they should deal with, and that it’s a priority for them,” he said. “It’s pretty poor people do these things, especially during lockdown when residents are nervous and vulnerable.
“I don’t condone it in any way.”
Mr Price said that earlier this month, Wokingham Borough Council worked with Thames Valley Police and Reading Borough Council to prevent a car meet.
The council has deemed these events illegal for breaching covid guidelines.
“We feel our actions helped reduce the chances of this large scale event taking place that had the potential for a significant impact on our communities,” Mr Price said.
“We will continue to work with our partners, particularly Thames Valley Police, to prevent anti-social behaviour that negatively affects our residents.
“We are looking at car meets across the borough and will consider, where appropriate and proportionate, the use of a range of legal powers.”
A spokesperson for Thames Valley Police said car cruises can be a danger to the public, and risk transmitting the coronavirus during the pandemic.
“We would ask that people do not gather for any other event and our officers will be on hand and will use the powers available to them in order to minimise this event’s impact on our communities,” they said.
“Where we see people gathering and knowingly putting others at potential risk from coronavirus our officers will look to use enforcement be it through dispersal, fines or even arrest.
“We will continue to work with our partners at Wokingham Borough Council and other local authorities to keep our communities safe.”
