A GROUP campaigning to protect ancient riverside from a single track bus lane bridge teamed up with a Reading town centre cosmetics firm to sign up additional support.
On Friday last week, members of SOAR – Save Our Ancient Riverside – were invited to set up a stall by Lush Cosmetics in The Oracle. Using this temporary base, the group were able to sign up a host of people to its petition against developing the natural beauty spot over the River Thames.
Reading Borough Council wants permission from Wokingham Borough Council to build a large concrete bridge next to the historic bridges designed by Brunel at the Kennetmouth – the area where the River Thames and the Kennet and Avon canal meets.
One of the historic bridges is a special horseshoe bridge and the area is the border between Reading and Wokingham boroughs.
The campaigners say that the single lane bridge over the Thames will only take buses and as a result not make any impact on road congestion. They also say that the scheme will cost £31.5 million in total and see almost 800 trees wiped out to create space for the bridge.
On Friday they were able to make their case direct to the public and a steady stream of visitors to their stall signed up – as we went to press, almost 2,000 people had lended their support to the campaign to protect.
A spokesperson for SOAR said: “We’ve had a very good reaction. It’s such an easy sell.
“No one wants this – people want to see [Reading Borough] council listen and appreciate that there are alternatives to this plan.
“With services being cut, it just doesn’t follow that £31.5million of public money is being spent in this way, especially as research suggests we will see an increase of traffic on London Road. This is terrible value for money.”
SOAR also feels that the the cash could have been spent creating a railway station at Thames Valley Park, “but there is no political will for it”.
“It’s a 1980s solution to a 2000s problem,” they added.
The group is also critical of Reading Borough Council deputy leader Cllr Tony Page for his comments that the area around the Kennetmouth – a nesting ground for swans and ducks – is devoid of wildlife.
“He just keeps coming out with nonsense,” they said. “For Cllr Page to say there’s no wildlife is just laughable and makes Reading Borough Council look embarrassing when they make ridiculous statements like that.”
Last month Cllr Page claimed that the riverbank area along the Thames was blighted by drug abuse and anti social behaviour. He also said that a number of riverboats were illegally moored and the area was overgrown.
He said: “Dealing has been quite noticeable” and added that the scheme would bring “substantial riverside improvements” including three legal moorings and better lighting while increased presence of buses and cyclists would help to deter anti social behaviour and drug dealing.
Wokingham Borough Council’s planning department’s online consultation ends on Friday, November 23, and the petition is still online and could force debate at Reading or Wokingham Borough councils.
