Hurst Village Society has pledged to strongly fight the ‘nightmare’ of up to 300 new homes being built in its community.
But earlier this week the society had yet to announce whether to take part in a controversial opinion feedback scheme being run by the plan’s promoters, Mactaggart and Mickell.
Hurst Village Society (HVS) chairman Jo Newbold said: “We are going to decide on that.”
The Protect Hurst Action Group urged its members not to take part, alleging: “The way the questions are posed Mactaggart and Mickel WILL take all responses as a positive response to this proposal and use it to promote their application.”
But Conor Roberts of Mactaggart and Mickel denied that saying: “We have been very clear from the outset that residents’ feedback will not be construed as support for the proposals, and in no way will the mere fact that they have provided feedback be interpreted as a positive response to the proposals.”
Mrs Newbold said up to 300 new homes would be an absolute nightmare, taking away the village’s community feel.
She said HVS would strongly fight planning permission being given.
READ MORE: 300 homes plan for Hurst: ‘Don’t give them feedback’ say action group
Hurst already had 876 homes: 300 more on the Tape Lane/Lodge Road field would add 34% more, she said. “That’s a crazy amount for a village of this size. We’re a rural village sandwiched between Wokingham and Twyford and we want to keep it as it is for as long as possible.
“From what I can see there hasn’t been any support for this proposal, nobody wants it. Building 300 homes would be an absolute nightmare for us,” she added.
She was concerned about the vehicle entrance off Lodge Road to the homes. “We already have a traffic and speeding issue in Hurst: HVS is trying to pull together a strategy with Wokingham Borough Council to see what can be done.
“Even with some amendment to Lodge Road, possibly a roundabout and crossings, that in no way mitigates the effects of over 600 [extra] cars on the roads around Hurst.”
Mactaggart and Mickell’s website says Hurst is suitable for more homes because of its primary school, post office, bus service, sports and recreation grounds. There are also roads to surrounding areas and Twyford and Winnersh Stations are reasonably close.
They say 300 homes was likely to create about 150 car trips in each peak period, 8am to 9am and 5pm to 6pm. These trips would spread across local roads, reducing the effect at any one junction. Numbers of trips were likely to be: to Winnersh and Reading, 23 trips; to Wokingham via the A321, 72; to Bracknell via Forest Road, 33; to Twyford 22.
Traffic consultants would assess if traffic created would mean road improvements were needed. Mactaggart and Mickell wanted to promote sustainable travel and would see if the current bus service could be improved. Their plan aimed to encourage walking and cycling.
They hope to ask Wokingham Borough Council for planning permission in the autumn. Once Wokingham Borough Council receives permission applications they seek residents’ views on them.
The scheme proposal can be seen at https://www.landeastoflodgeroad.co.uk/
