A VILLAGE in the south of the borough could be almost doubled in size if a controversial planning application is granted by a neighbouring council.
Residents in Riseley, which has a population of around 240 people, are fighting Hart District Council against proposals for 83 new homes to be built on a piece of land right on the Berkshire and Hampshire border.
Last night (Wednesday) the council’s planning committee agreed to refer the application to Full Council for consideration, subject to the completion of an appropriate legal agreement, as they could find no grounds to refuse the site.
But the application has been met with furious opposition from residents and organisations on both sides of the border, receiving more than 150 formal objections.
Henry Bennett, who has lived in the village for many years, argued that the volume of traffic on the roads around Riseley, heading onto the Swallowfield bypass during the morning and evening rush hours, are already at breaking point even without the potential addition of dozens of extra cars.
Mr Bennett, who lives in Norton Road, said: “We have taken traffic surveys ourselves and driven out with a dash cam to record the extent of the problems. On an average morning, it can take up to 15 minutes to travel a mere 0.4miles.
Mr Bennett continued: “I remember when the bypass was built back in the 1980s and we thought it would be the answer to our prayers, that our little village would return to the peace and quiet we moved here for, but it has made it worse.”
Swallowfield Parish Council have strongly opposed the plans and are urging Hart District Council to reject the application.
In a letter addressed to the planning officer Graeme Felstead on April 3, the council called the council’s Highways report ‘inaccurate and overly optimistic’, and pointed out the fact that a traffic survey was taken during half term in June, when a lot of students would be on study leave.
The letter said: “The survey does not reflect normal traffic volumes and hence the results are compromised and meaningless.
“We believe that a proper [traffic] analysis requires the engagement of and collaboration between both Highways Authorities – Hampshire County Council and Wokingham Borough Council.”
Neighbouring Heckfield Parish Council has also objected to the plans, citing excessive traffic additions to an already busy commuter route.
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Do you live in Riseley? What do you make of the plans to build 83 new homes there? Email your comments to news@wokinghampaper.co.uk.
