Following a Scoping Opinion application submitted to Wokingham Borough Council in relation to Hall Farm/Loddon Valley SDL, the Town Council has submitted its comments on the application to the Borough Council.
Whilst ETC has no objection to the Scoping Opinion application itself, it has raised the following concerns about certain aspects of the Environmental Impact Assessment: –
1. Flood Risk
The Local Plan Regulation 19 submission and the map in this application – fig 14.1, shows that none of the proposed houses will be in a flood zone and that access points to the proposed development shown in fig 18.1 will also not be in a flood zone. However, there is still a need to consider the effect of flooding that occurs regularly just outside the development boundary at the junction of Mill Lane/ Lower Earley Way/ Rushey Way and also the south side of the Showcase roundabout and the resultant traffic congestion that will impact Earley, Shinfield and Winnersh.
2. Employment Assumptions
The studios are likely to be one of the largest employers in the area but the cyclic nature of the film production process and the largely itinerant nature of specialist contractors (many as sole traders) is unlikely to result in a large number of residents of the proposed development being continuously employed at the studios. Therefore, it would seem that more detail of what stable, full and part time employment opportunities will be available within the bounds of the development is required, along with the associated effect on car and public transport journeys to and from the development to major locations such as Wokingham, Winnersh Triangle, Reading and Basingstoke.
3. Transport Connections – particularly road traffic
If the proposed bridge across the M4 is built, it is shown that the section of Lower Earley Way from Meldreth Way and Rushey Way will be dualled, which will increase the amount of traffic flow at a given time which could result in the level of traffic noise increasing and impacting nearby residents, therefore this should be taken into consideration when the dualling is designed.
The Local Plan Regulation 19 documentation contains a large amount of traffic modelling but it does not show that a large proportion of traffic will be trying to access Lower Earley Way before the bridge is built. As the proposed bridge across the M4 is in Phase 3 (of 3) of the development and will not be built unless the need is fully justified and likely, will not be built until the late 2030’s, until the bridge is built, most traffic will be flowing away from Earley via either end of Lower Earley Way, which will cause additional congestion along Lower Earley Way but not necessarily increases in vehicle numbers.
In section 18 of the Scope, under paragraph 18.2.12, it mentions 30% additional traffic flows as being a trigger for detailed assessment and that increases of less than 10% can be ignored. Currently in rush hour(s), there is already heavy traffic congestion on Shinfield Road to and from Reading; down the B3270 to Junction 11 of the M4; around the junction of Beeston Way and Lower Earley Way; the junction of Lower Earley Way/Rushey Way/Mill Lane; the junction of Hatch Farm Way and Lower Earley Way; the junction of Kings Street Lane/Hatch Farm Way/Longdon Road; the junctions of Loddon Bridge Road/Wokingham Road and all entries and exits to the Showcase roundabout.
These roads are all outside the proposed development but the EIA must give very detailed consideration to all these congestion points, as to the effect of additional traffic from Hall Farm and our suggestion is that the range should be 15% down to 3% increase in traffic flows when many of the roads mentioned are already at capacity.
In addition, the environmental impacts of the phasing of the development are only considered, using a 2026 baseline, and a 2040 forecast. This is far too broad as described in para 18.2.31, therefore consideration should be given to the interim build out, as much of the Phase 1 dwelling completions will be competing with construction traffic and unfinished road enhancements in the early 2030’s.