A charity which owns woodland that could be the site of a 80 home development was a no show at a public meeting to discuss prospective plans.

A public meeting was held this month at Tilehurst Village Hall where it was hoped that representatives of the Tilehurst People’s Local Charity (TPLC) would attend to answer questions.

However, TPLC did not turn up to the meeting, which was packed with residents.

Instead, neighbours voiced their concerns and opposition to the prospective development at the meeting, which was hosted by Labour Kentwood councillors Glenn Dennis and Mark Keeping.

Development of the woodland sites have been opposed by Keep Kentwood Green (KKG), which is made up of  group of neighbours and has 621 members on Facebook.

Professor Julia Waters, representative of KKG, said: “We think it’s important to hang on to those last little remnants of green and wilderness that still somehow has managed to survive into the 21st century.

“We want to protect it, it’s just four and a half acres of land but it’s valuable green space and the wildlife in the centre of this very built up area.”

READ MORE: Neighbours fear for lives of badgers due to work in Reading woodlands

TPLC has proposed that two sites which it owns be built on, one being in Kentwood Hill for 41-62 homes and the other at Armour Hill for 12-18 homes.

Both have been identified for development in the Reading Local Plan.

Jenny Cottee, member of the Tilehurst Allotments Society said: “We’re very concerned that the proposals that the charity are putting forward don’t actually meet the requirements of the Local Plan.

“We don’t want any allotment plots to be sold. We don’t want any land that is currently cultivated to be lost.”

The allotments are protected as designated green space in the Local Plan.

Pete Evans, allotment holder and KKG member argued that selling the land to a housing developer would be the ‘worst option’ and is not in the best interests of the people TPLC serves.

After these speeches, the councillors asked neighbours what questions they wanted to ask TPLC.

The meeting was held on Friday, October 14.

A list of 30 questions has been compiled ahead of a private meeting between and councillors and the charity’s trustees.

The questions will be raised at that future meeting and are due to be published soon.

Explaining why no members of TPLC attended the public meeting, a statement from the board of trustees of TPLC said: “When two of the Kentwood Ward councillors suggested that a public meeting be held with representation from the Charity, and with an agenda agreed by all parties, our response to them was as follows:

  • Prior to any planning application being submitted, it was inappropriate to hold a public meeting.  It would serve no useful purpose at this time.
  • Therefore the Charity would not be attending a public meeting at this stage.
  • Instead the Charity offered a more-focussed, private meeting to ensure that Councillors were properly informed, and to dispel the incorrect and misleading statements being disseminated by those objecting to any development.

“Despite knowing that the Charity would not attend a public meeting, the Councillors proceeded to arrange the meeting and to issue publicity which gave people the misleading impression that the Charity would be present.

“The Charity is currently working towards holding a private meeting with elected representatives.

“This would in fact be the second such meeting – the first private meeting with Councillors having been held in February 2022.”

The meeting was also attended by cllr Raj Singh (Conservative, Kentwood) and Liberal Democrat Tilehurst cllrs James Moore and Anne Thompson.