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ONE of the most famous voices in football is calling for a red card to be given to plans to turn a beauty spot into a cement yard.
As we revealed last week, Wokingham Borough Council has received planning application to turn land in Shinfield into a quarry for sand and gravel and create a ready-mix concrete plant.
Residents used a community forum on Monday night to let site operators Cemex know of their objections to the plans. And adding to their voices is ITV football commentator Clive Tyldesley.
He said: “There is a real need for someone in authority to blow the whistle and have the guts to call for a halt to the changes being made to the size and look of the whole Arborfield community.
“We need at very least a time-out.
“There are already thousands of homes under construction and a new road network now taking shape.”
The area needs time to see exactly what effects these significant developments are going to have on daily life.”
Cemex has applied to Wokingham Borough Council for permission to create a 190 hectare site to extract an estimated 3.6million tonnes of sand and gravel from Bridge Farm, off the A327.
As well as extracting sand and gravel, there will be a processing plant, an area to create ready mix concrete and the creation of appropriate infrastructure and parking for HGVs.
When the project has finished – thought to be within 14 years time – the company is pledging to return the land back to lowland meadows, farmland and wetlands.
But residents used a meeting of the Arborfield Community Forum on Monday evening to hit out at the plans.
They rounded on Cemex representatives and borough councillors to make their voices heard, saying that the proposals are out of keeping with the area and would heap additional misery on a community that has already endured the overdue Shinfield Relief Road, thousands of new houses being erected and seen their green spaces eroded as a result of the work.
The campaigners also say that there is no current need for mineral extraction in the borough as the council already has a surplus running to an estimated 11 years.
Susan Tyldesley, who lives in the village, said: “As far as I can see everyone is against it – why should they support it? There’s absolutely nothing in it for the local community at all.
“I just think there’s no place for it at all. We are going to fight it – anyone who would like to join us are welcome to join our Facebook group.”
Andy Hallett, who set up the group called ‘Shinfield & Arborfield Residents Against Bridge Farm Quarry’, said that support had come thick and fast..
“I’ve been really surprised by the amount of people and the strength of the objections we’ve seen coming through – both technical and emotional objections. Both communities of Shinfield and Arborfield have had enough. They’ve stood by as thousands upon thousands of houses have been put on site but this is really one step too far.
“They’re both very residential semi-rural areas and this application is very out-of-keeping with anything we’ve seen in the area previously or should expect going forward.
“The representatives from Cemex have given scant regards to residents simply … we have to get minerals from somewhere. That’s not good enough for us.
“If this goes through the quality of life for residents of Shinfield and Arborfield cannot be improved by this site.”
But Cemex said that the application will go through rigorous inspection and that appropriate assessments will take place.
Andrew Scott, Estates and Development Manager for the company, said: “The planning application for the land south west of Bridge Farm is in its earliest stages and will go through due process and consultation over the coming months.
“The application is to extract vital sand and gravel much needed by the local community for construction projects such as homes, roads and schools. The potential dust, noise and traffic have all been assessed with recommended mitigation that would be put in place.
“The land is part owned by the Farley Estate and Cemex UK and is farmland which will be restored back to farmland with some new wetlands for wildlife habitats, retaining much of the existing vegetation.
“The extraction will take place in small areas and with each area restored as the extraction is completed. The complete process will take approximately 14 years including time to prepare and restore the site, while providing local employment and the required building materials as highlighted by the local authority Minerals Plan.”
