Press Release Following the John Thompson and Partners Report Back

Following the report back meeting at the Garrison Community Centre on Wednesday, the Arborfield Garrison Residents Action Group have issued a press release. The JTP report back broadsheet can be found on their site here.

Gathering reactions from across our membership our members were pleasantly surprised, especially at the number of residents points and concerns that had been taken into account in the revised illustrative master plan. Members also gave a cautious welcome to the commitments the developers made via the report back presentation to continue consultation with the residents and in particular to work with the local council and other interested parties over the critical infrastructure issues that we have repeatedly highlighted.

Although a commitment was explicitly made by the developers to work with Wokingham Borough Council to deliver a relief road, residents are still concerned that the developers committed over the planning weekend to push through to submitting a planning application in March despite Wokingham Borough Council now expecting their traffic data to be ready in May, and having now started arranging a new traffic forum to discuss the issues.

Previous executive member Cllr Angus Ross made the following statement to the BBC well over a year ago in October 2011:

We reiterate that the traffic issues need to be resolved before any planning application is given – as the planning weekend showed this issue is critical to people in the SDL and the surrounding villages, and whilst we share the frustration of the developers at the slow progress producing the traffic data from Wokingham Borough Council, getting a viable traffic solution and buy in on that solution from the local residents is a vital element of delivering a successful and sustainable development. Fudging and forcing the issue on the basis of out of date or incomplete data will be to the long term detriment of everybody in the area.

Our full statement is as follows:

Cautious Welcome

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