Reading council defends its position over new homes

The 223-home development will be built on the former golf course at Emmer Green

A council has defended its position over the approval of controversial plans for 223 new homes.

Reading Borough Council said the decision to approve the proposals for the new housing development on the former Reading Golf Course site had "conformed to all legal requirements".

The comment follows allegations over the process followed by the authority when the plans were approved in March.

Campaigners have pledged to continue their fight against the scheme.

A plan for 257 homes at the site in the Emmer Green area was recommended for refusal and rejected last July.

Developers initially appealed against the refusal but they have recently withdrawn their appeal.

Reading Golf Club has left its former course and said it wanted to leave a legacy for the area with the development

The second plan for 223 homes was recommended for approval and given the go-ahead in March this year.

But a member of the Keep Emmer Green (KEG) campaign said the group was considering involving the Local Government Ombudsman because they believed the council broke procedure when approving the 223-home plan.

"I can't understand how an experienced planning officer can recommend it being rejected the first time, for a second plan with minor adjustments to be recommended for approval," the KEG member said.

"Why was there such a sudden U-turn?"

The KEG member argued that the council was swayed to approve because it would benefit from millions in developer contributions, including £557,500 of investment in open space and leisure facilities in Emmer Green, and £550,000 of investment in local healthcare facilities, the Local Democracy Reporting Service said.

The council has already received a complaint about the process of the approval.

Responding to allegations that it did not follow correct procedures, a Reading Borough Council spokesperson said the authority's monitoring officer conducted a thorough investigation following the complaint.

"The Monitoring Officer concluded that the determination of the planning application fully conformed to all legal and constitutional requirements and no malpractice by councillors or officers was identified in either presenting the committee report or reaching a decision," the spokesperson added.

Another member of KEG said the campaign would focus on upcoming planning applications to determine the details of the project.

Developers Fairfax and its planning agents Pegasus Group have been approached for comment.