Alok Sharma, the Member of Parliament of Reading West, and local Coley resident and campaigner, Nick Fudge, have launched a survey to seek views on Reading Borough Council’s plans to build more homes in Coley.
Labour-run Reading Borough Council has announced that it plans to build more council homes on the site surrounding the flats in Coley Park. However, a number of residents have contacted Nick to raise their concerns regarding demolition of the garages which are currently in use by residents, more traffic and congestion, and making existing environmental issues in the area worse. A local online petition to oppose the plans has already received over 100 signatures. Some residents have also contacted Alok to raise their concerns as they had not been notified of a recent public meeting organised by the Council to inform residents of the plans.
Alok and Nick have now launched a Residents’ Survey to seek views on the Council’s proposals. This Survey seeks to understand views about the plans and asks whether residents have been properly consulted by the Council.
Nick Fudge said: “Reading Borough Council's proposals to build new properties in this area has caused a lot of unhappiness and anger from local residents. Our Labour councillors are not listening to the residents’ views and seem over keen to bulldoze these proposals through. We all appreciate the need for more social housing, but this already densely populated area is not the appropriate place to build them. The area already suffers from access, traffic and parking chaos, has a large rat infestation and other social problems due to years of neglect from the Council.”
Alok Sharma MP said: “As a former Housing and Planning Minister, I am acutely aware of the overall need to build more homes. And there is a great deal the Government is doing, together with private developers, housing associations and local councils to encourage home building. But ultimately homes need to have local support, needs to be sustainable and the local infrastructure needs to be in place to support their impact. I look forward to getting the views of local residents from the survey.”
