Councillors in Reading will ask for £150,000 towards improvements to a Caversham junction to support a plan for 70 homes in South Oxfordshire.

Reading Borough Council’s (RBC) planning applications committee considered its response to plans by Fairfax and Reading Golf Club for up to 70 homes on land within South Oxfordshire at the former golf club in Kidmore End Road at its November 5 meeting.

In a report to the meeting, members had been asked to insist on a s106 contribution from the developer of £50,000 towards improvements for cyclists and pedestrians at the junction of Prospect Street, Westfield Road, Peppard Road and Henley Road in Caversham, one of five conditions if Reading is to support the plan as a neighbouring authority.

But councillors agreed that figure should be trebled.

Cllr Stephen Goss said: “The impression I get is that South Oxfordshire gets all the benefits and Reading gets all the headaches from this development.”

The meeting heard access to the site is within the Reading borough so all vehicles, including South Oxfordshire’s refuse collection lorries, will have to come through Reading roads.

Cllr Andrew Hornsby-Smith warned the development is not in the South Oxfordshire Local Plan and could be the thin end of the wedge to more development.

In addition, he argued buses would not be convenient for residents who would be more likely to drive.

He went on: “We know from earlier discussions that a crossing at the Peppard Road / Prospect Street junction is going to cost £500,000. That’s the estimate we’ve got.”

He said the original £50,000 demand was calculated on trip generation when it should be based on the affect on the junction which is already at capacity.

He added: “I think we need to be pressing for £150,000.”

Officers told the meeting traffic lights at the junction are soon to be controlled by a new system called MOVA and that officers are already considering how a crossing can be installed.

Other conditions demanded by the committee from the developer include money for bus services, more information regarding a pedestrian/cycle way to Highdown Hill Road and cash towards sport and leisure facilities in Reading borough.

A condition to ask for money towards GP services was widened to ask for it to cover more health services and a further condition to request for an arboricultural report was added.

The planning application can be seen at: https://data.southoxon.gov.uk/ccm/support/Main.jsp?MODULE=ApplicationDetails&REF=P25/S1431/O#exactline

The meeting can be watched at https://democracy.reading.gov.uk/ieListDocuments.aspx?CId=143&MId=5703

Image: Google.

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