A VITAL flood meadow which has been under threat from a 7,500-home development should be given greater protection by being placed in trust, according to Reading Borough Council.

Councillors unanimously agreed to work with West Berkshire Council in seeking the agreement of the owners of Kennet Meadows, which is under threat from the PRUPIM development, so it can be managed as an important area of open space and retained for landscape, recreational and education purposes.

They were acting on a motion from Southcote councillor Pete Ruhemann, at Tuesday"s council meeting, who also called for the site to be officially recognised as a functional flood plain on which developments are restricted to 'essential infrastructure'.

Cllr Ruhemann, who hopes the council will eventually buy the site to preserve it as a wildlife trust, said: 'For over 30 years it"s been under attack.'

'It was quite clear there was a substantial risk that the town centre and The Oracle would be flooded. There were also major issues about transport. I hope Prupim will now get the message that this is not something they want to push forward.'

The motion also welcomed the site"s exclusion from both the Government planning strategy, the South East Plan, and West Berkshire Council"s draft list of preferred development sites.