7/30/2019 Fury Over Cancelled Meeting

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arborfield-garrison-rag.org.uk

Dateissued:Monday2ndSeptember2013

RESIDENTSFURYOVERCANCELLEDMINITOWNMEETING

ResidentslivinginArborfield,BarkhamandFinchampsteadarefuriousoverWokinghamBorough

CouncilslastminutedecisiontoscrapacriticalCommunityForummeetingtodiscussplansfora

3,500homemini-towndevelopment.

ItsanunbelievableactiontotakesaysArborfieldGarrisonResidentsActionGroup(AG-RAG)

spokeswomenGillPurchase.

WearejustafewweeksawayfromthewhentheCouncilwilldecidewhethertoapprovethis

planningapplicationandtheyhavesevereddialoguewithresidentsuntilafterthishasbeendone.

WokinghamBoroughCouncilhasputinthepublicdomainpageuponpageofobjectionsaswhyto

thisdevelopmentshouldnotgoahead.Itshowsover94%ofresidents(whoresponded)were

againsttheproposalwithonly24peopleshowingtheirfullsupportforit!

Hundredsofkeyissues,suchasacompletelyinadequateinfrastructuretosupportthissize

development,thehighdensityofhousingwhichwilldestroytheruralcharacterofthearea,

impactandclosureoflocalbusinessesandoverwhelmingstrainonmedicalserviceshavebeen

highlightedduringtheconsultationprocess-soitsimportantwegetthesequestionsanswered.It

wouldnotbedemocratictoapprovetheseplansuntilresidentsareconfidentalltheseconcerns

havebeenaddressed.

Shecontinues.Onthesamedaythemeetingshouldhavetakenplace,theconsultationwillstarton

theproposedreliefroad.Residentswantedtousethismeetingtohavefurtherdebateonthisissue

withCouncillorsandofficials.Inparticular,wewantedtoasktheCounciltoexplainwhytheyappear

tohavegonebackontheirpromisetocontactotherlandownerstodiscussabetteralternative

route,whichtoourknowledge,hasnotbeendone.

7/30/2019 Fury Over Cancelled Meeting

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Sheconcludes.Crucialcommunitymeetingsshouldnotbecancelled.Onceagain,itappearsthe

Councilisrail-roadingthisdevelopmentthroughtoappeasethedevelopers,givinglittleorno

thoughttotheviewsandconcernsofitsresidents.

NotetoEditors

ThecancelledmeetingwasduetotakeplaceonMonday9thSeptemberatHenryStreetGarden

Centre.ThenextscheduledmeetingisDecember12th,locationtobeadvised.