Changes have been made to a plan for dozens of new homes on the northern outskirts of Reading that has been hit with objections.
Plans for a new residential development on the northern outskirts of Reading have been revised following numerous objections. The Fairfax land acquisitions company has modified its proposal to add 70 homes to the Emmer Green Drive project in Caversham.
Originally granted outline permission by Reading Borough Council's planning committee in March 2022, the Emmer Green Drive development faced over 4,000 objections. The new homes would increase the total to 293, extending into land managed by South Oxfordshire District Council.
Recent design alterations were made after consultations with the council's planning department, including changes to access and additional tree planting.
Residents continue to voice their concerns. Jennifer Leach, an Emmer Green local, stated, "South Oxfordshire has a powerful chance to stand up for what is morally and ethically right... What short-term profit can ever justify this?" The Keep Emmer Green group has been rallying locals to object, with one member posting on Facebook, "They have saved three trees and changed a road but still want 70 houses. This application needs to be thrown out. It ignores the local plan and the developer says that doesn’t matter. But it does. This is our community. Our future."
Despite these objections, the planning agent from Boyer argues that the need for housing and the development's benefits outweigh local policies. They referenced recent appeals where inspectors allowed housing projects, stating the necessity for new homes often supersedes neighbourhood plans.
A public consultation regarding the 70 new homes at Emmer Green Drive will close on Saturday, September 6. For more information, visit South Oxfordshire council's planning portal and search for reference P25/S1431/O.
James Aldridge, Local Democracy Reporter
