LOCAL RESIDENTS are speaking out against the Grazeley plans, unhappy with the number of homes planned for the village.
Resident Nicola Turnball launched a petition last week against the plans to develop Grazeley as part of the Local Plan.
Currently, the petition has more than 900 signatures. This weekend, parents and children at Grazeley Primary School gathered to protest against the plans.
Ms Turnball’s main concerns for the development are the number of houses, which she believes will put a strain on the environment and infrastructure.
She said: “There’s just so many houses that have been built in Shinfield, Grazeley and Three Mile Cross, and the roads are a nightmare.
“It’s less than one mile to get the children to school, but driving there can take up to an hour due to the traffic congestion. And we can’t walk because the A33 is in the middle.
“The location really is the problem, the A33 is virtually gridlocked each day. It can’t cope.”
Ms Turnball is also concerned about the flood risk — something on many borough resident’s minds after the recent flooding.
“Each year the flooding is getting worse and worse in this area,” she added. “More and more houses are being built, with concrete everywhere. There’s nowhere for the water to train away.”
Ms Turnball heard about the plans after watching BBC coverage of the proposal. After the programme aired, she began to see more and more local residents talking about their concerns on social media.
“Everyone I’ve spoken to is against the plans,” she said. “This petition is about giving the local residents a chance to have their say, and make their voices heard.”
So far, resident comments on the petition include concerns over traffic and congestion, a village keeping it’s village status, inadequate infrastructure, destruction of wildlife, provision of schools and medical centres, flood risk and reduction of green spaces.
Other residents have cited the development at Spencers Wood, saying the area has seen enough housing development.
