A NEW park and ride will be built off Coppid Beech roundabout for residents travelling into town.
The £3 million project was approved at the planning meeting on Wednesday, August 12.
But Cllr Rachel Burgess, councillor for Norreys — where the park and ride will be built — said the plan is “greenwashing” from the borough council.
Cllr Gregor Murray, executive member for climate emergency at Wokingham Borough Council, said the new scheme would improve air quality in town.
He said: “Providing more options for sustainable transport options is crucial for us reaching our carbon neutral targets and improving air quality in our town centres.
“We’re investing in the infrastructure our borough needs to get more people on to public transport will help us become carbon neutral as quickly as we can.
“Our ambitious targets will also help make our town centres more enjoyable places to be by improving air quality, with fewer cars travelling into them.”
But Cllr Burgess said Cllr Murray is misleading residents.
She said: “This scheme does not provide the environmental gains to justify the loss of natural green space, and the reduced quality of life for nearby residents.
“The business plan states: ‘It is not envisaged the scheme would significantly affect air quality and emission levels. The expected impact on air quality is considered to be neutral.’
“The linking of this park and ride to environmental benefits by Cllr Murray is simply false.”
The site will be built on land previously agreed for part of the Keephatch Gardens development, east of Wokingham town centre.
But in a letter to Wokingham.Today, Cllr Burgess said the rationale of the park and ride does not stack up.
She said: “The Conservatives have ignored numerous resident objections about the park and ride. No one’s sense of place includes the desire to be adjacent to a car park and a bus terminal.
“No other park and ride in the borough has been built adjacent to housing.
“All the others are separated from residential areas either by a main road, a railway or some other barrier which reduces the impact of the park and ride on residents.
“It is clear that the park and ride cannot integrate with the surroundings – the landscaping cannot hide the lights and the double decker buses that will intrude on the community.”
Cllr Pauline Jorgensen, executive member for highways and transport at Wokingham Borough Council, said the scheme would reduce congestion across the borough.
But Cllr Burgess said the council purchase of Denmark Street car park in the town centre is more incentive for people to drive.
She said: “Do the Conservatives really think that people will drive to the edge of Wokingham, park in the park and ride, wait 15 minutes for a three-minute bus journey to the centre of town and do the same on the way back?”
Once built, the park and ride will include bike and motorcycle parking spaces and electric car charging points. Work will start later this year and may be finished by the end of 2021.
It will be split-funded, 80% by Thames Valley Berkshire Local Enterprise Partnership (LEP) through the Government’s Local Growth Fund and the remaining by the borough council.
