Neighbours in Reading are gearing up to fight the council over its recent decision to create a Gypsy and Traveller site near Reading Sewage Works.
Earlier this month, the council’s planning committee approved the creation of a designated site where travelling communities can stay on land which is close to the Thames Water sewage treatment facility in Island Road.
The site will have seven pitches, with each pitch having enough space for two caravans and two cars.
The plan for the site was approved on Wednesday, October 5, but now residents are calling for the decision to be reversed.
The plan was opposed by the Kennet Island Residents Management Company which represents approximately 3,000 residents. A representative of the company claimed the council received hundreds of objections from neighbours.
Opposition to the decision is expressed in a letter to Alok Sharma, the Conservative MP for Reading West.
The letter states: “We have four major grounds by which we believe give valid warrant for an appeal and secondary review of the local planning decision.
“Firstly, we believe that the local council have a conflict of interest as both the applicant and approver.
“We believe that they have acted in this case without impartiality to the facts and merits of the case and have granted themselves planning permission, to which they would not grant any other party and have held themselves up to a different standard to which they would expect any other applicant to achieve.
“Secondly, we do not believe the safety and suitability of the intended use of the site was given correct assessment or weighting and should not be compromised.”
The writer goes on to argue that the lack of alternative sites for the travelling communities transit site is not a valid reason to approve. It also states that neighbours and businesses were not adequately consulted.
The fourth and final point made is that the site is not located close to education and health centres, which is contrary to the government’s national policy for Traveller sites.
READ MORE: Reading policy agreed to protect caravan and mobile home residents
Opponents have urged Mr Sharma to get the Government’s planning inspectorate to determine the application instead.
Alternatively, opponents can trigger a judicial review process, where a judge would investigate whether the decision was made lawfully. However, judicial reviews are costly.
The approved site was decided on during a search for potential sites which began in 2017. During the search, 80 council owned sites were considered, with 78 being rejected.
A site in Cow Lane was considered, but rejected as the council chose that land to be used for the new River Academy secondary school instead.
READ MORE: New Reading secondary school to be built near festival site
Planning officer Ethne Humphreys concluded that the absence of any alternative site outweighed the cons of the chosen site.
You can view the application by typing reference 212037 into the council’s planning portal.
Mr Sharma has been asked whether he will call on the government to review the decision.
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