New plans to build a neighbourhood of up to 148 homes just south of Reading have been branded ‘madness’ by exasperated neighbours.

Wates Development wants to build the homes on the edge of Three Mile Cross, just to the north of Church Lane, flanking Reading Gospel Hall. The developer has applied to Wokingham Borough Council for planning permission.

The neighbourhood would be the latest new housing project in an area that has seen several in recent years – leading some neighbours to warn of over-development.

Karen Caruana of Spencers Wood wrote to the council to object, warning that development in the area is ‘destroying villages and towns'. She said the new homes would put strain on stretched services and roads, exacerbate flooding, and harm wildlife.

READ MORE: Plans for 500 homes would be ‘devastating’ for Spencers Wood

She said: “THIS IS MADNESS!! We cannot cope with any more traffic. We have no doctors, dentist or school spaces for current residents. Three Mile Cross floods. The list goes on. Please stop destroying our villages and towns!!”

And Shona Steward, also of Spencers Wood, said: “The roads are already bursting at the seams - children can't get places at schools in their local catchment area.

“It's meant to be a village not a mini-town. It's already beyond a joke, let alone adding more homes.”

Some neighbours said Church Lane already floods during heavy rain – and warned more development could cause even more runoff. Others said traffic was already ‘dire’ – with traffic jams at rush hour as people try to get into Reading and onto the M4.

Ben Innes-Dickinson of Three Mile Cross said: “You only need to try and drive down Church Road or Basingstoke Road between 8am and 9am on a weekday to see that these roads are already completely overwhelmed by cars.

“It takes over 20mins to travel the 0.5mile to the motorway currently from the middle of Church Road.”

But a planning statement submitted to the council said developers had carried out a traffic study saying the housing’s impact on roads ‘would not be severe’.

And a design statement says the area is within ‘Flood Zone 1’ which means it is at low risk of river flooding.

It admits that surface water can flow across the site ‘particularly during periods of heavy rainfall.’ But it says that a study for developers concluded there would be ‘no increase in flood risk off-site.’

Designs also say the development would include an outdoor gym, a children’s play area, a ‘kick about area’, a ‘community orchard with outdoor learning area,’ and an ‘arrival orchard’ at the entrance. The plans are currently pending a decision by Wokingham Borough Council.