Say No To Sandleford Options

[Simon Kirby]

The No-campaign have a new poster. Actually the planned development preserves all of the areas of copse and creates a country park out of most of what is currently agricultural land with no existing right of access other than the footpath across it so I have absolutely no idea what the tree motif is doing there. For anyone with the slightest interest in the great outdoors beyound their own back yard the Sandleford Country Park is a fantastic thing to be happening to Newbury.

Curiously enough the cornerstone of the No-campaign's argument has been that greenfield development is wrong and urban brown-field development should satisfy the demand for housing. This was Dr. David Cooper, Secretary of the Liberal Democrat Action for Land Taxation and Economic Reform, writing to the Times 20 December.

The financial incentive to redevelop under-used sites within the town is far smaller since building permission already exists. Within the town of Newbury there are sufficient unused sites to meet our housing needs. However, planners, egged on by rich and powerful property interests, have biased the planning process so that it favours large greenfield developments.

The battle between town developments and the destruction of the countryside is hopelessly rigged in favour of the latter.

Not houses like the ones Dr Cooper lives in of course, and probably more in the way of flats and apartments, but good enough for other people to live I'm sure.

So Sterling Cables, those No-to-Sandleford campaigners must have totally packed the Town Hall in support last week when the Clown Tonsil planning committee considered that application, right?

[Andy Capp]

Actually the planned development preserves all of the areas of copse and creates a country park out of most of what is currently agricultural land with no existing right of access other than the footpath across it so I have absolutely no idea what the tree motif is doing there.

A tree is an aestheticly pleasing logo (even the Tories think so). Agricultural land is still green land, but the development will 'take' around a third of the present green fields and 'convert' them to residential.

[Guest_xjay1337_*]

I suppose at the end of the day you need to balance the countryside with capacity.
I wouldn't want Newbury to become any busier that's for sure..otherwise it would be like London where we'd all be making life as hard as possible for each other.

I mean there are a few areas of greenery but not too many... but as far as little towns go Newbury is quite nice... after all you wouldn't want to live in Reading would you.
And you can't have all your amenities like shops and car parks and houses without sacrificing on green areas. It takes 2 minutes to travel outside of Newbury in all directions (Never, Eat, Shredded and Wheat) and you are in lovely greenery areas.
And if that's not enough you can get tinted contact lenses.

[Exhausted]

A tree is an aestheticly pleasing logo (even the Tories think so). Agricultural land is still green land, but the development will 'take' around a third of the present green fields and 'convert' them to residential.

It is, it is and it will, but you can only see that it's green land if you have a look on Google Earth. There are some fairly large copse's within the proposed development area which will remain and the rest are farmer's fields. I'm with Simon that this could provide a public access country park which, in my opinion, can only benefit the Newbury community. We can go and look for "Rabbits" with impunity and without trespassing on some farmer's land.
It's up to WBC to make sure that we get a good deal. I know this is a bit of an oxymoron but in this case, the councillors, if they approve the deal, must ensure that the results benefit the community.
No doubt the traffic will be a bit of a problem but I'm sure that the two bottlenecks the Sainsbury roundabout Southbound and the Burger King roundabout Northbound can be resolved by better traffic management. WBC are very keen to grab S106 payments so instead of funding the library, let's put it to good use sorting the road network.
I do see here a bit of double standards by the way in that the Lib dems are continually opposing this development because, in their opinion, there are brownfield sites which can be redeveloped in Newbury and then we hear that the Lib Dem Town Council are against the Sterling Estate development (again).

[On the edge]

The Lib Dem policy seems to be seasonal. This week we'll cover the County in concrete, next week we'll be green. Anyway, they have their own clever ways of making a green site brown. Vis the infill between Thatcham and Newbury - when they are in next time, roll back the astro turf on Henwick hey presto a brown field site!

[NWNREADER]

Is there a 'Say Yes To Sandleford' group?

[Exhausted]

Is there a 'Say Yes To Sandleford' group?

Yes of course, it's called WBC conservatives.

[NWNREADER]

Are you saying the only options are with political parties? That would be sad......

[blackdog]

Yes of course, it's called WBC conservatives.

And most of the population of West Berkshire - who don't want the houses built in their back yard.

[Simon Kirby]

Yes of course, it's called WBC conservatives.

Not at all, many of the No-campaign are conservative voters.

[Cognosco]

Yes of course, it's called WBC conservatives.

So it's a done deal then? The rest of Newbury residents as usual will have no say and if they do they will be ignored!!

[Simon Kirby]

Is there a 'Say Yes To Sandleford' group?

[Andy Capp]

Typical modern art with surreal looking tree!

Seriously, the Sandleford Country Park 'spin' seems to be an angle that the (Tory) council have failed to convey!

[NWNREADER]

Including 'The Mark Of Zorro'.......
Can't fail!!!!

[Simon Kirby]

Including 'The Mark Of Zorro'.......
Can't fail!!!!

Good isn't it. I'm sorry, but I should have given the image attribution earlier - it's a derivative work of Cedar Icon licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 3.0 Unported license by Wikipedia contributor Aboluay

[Exhausted]

I said the WBC Conservatives are the Yes to Sandleford vote

And most of the population of West Berkshire - who don't want the houses built in their back yard.

I think you misread. The No vote along with the Nimbys are the WBC Libdems

..or have I misunderstood.

[Exhausted]

Seriously, the Sandleford Country Park 'spin' seems to be an angle that the (Tory) council have failed to convey!

Yes, I wonder why that is. Is there something they haven't told us or conversly have told us but have kept their fingers crossed when they said it.

[NWNREADER]

I said the WBC Conservatives are the Yes to Sandleford vote





I think you misread. The No vote along with the Nimbys are the WBC Libdems

..or have I misunderstood.

I think the suggestion is that everyone not living near Sandleford thinks building there is an excellent idea - they will then not have their own 'back yard' built on......

[On the edge]

I think the suggestion is that everyone not living near Sandleford thinks building there is an excellent idea - they will then not have their own 'back yard' built on......

Not quite accurate though. I reside on other side of Town to bypass and actually would not have minded the bypass coming straight through my house at all - house I had then needed extensive decoration and the neighbourhood wasn't that good either. One of my friends lives fairly close to the proposed Sandleford development and feels its likely to bring an improvement to what he sees as a draggle tailed neither country or town fringe. Far better houses than a small industrial estate, or even a country conference centre - like the one near Burghfield! Housing developments are so much better designed than they were even 10 years ago - where there were rows and rows of sameness - Wash Common estate?? Of course, many people don't want it in their back yard - when it comes down to it, that's often simply because they don't like change. Understandable - but not a reason to stop.

[spartacus]

And most of the population of West Berkshire - who don't want the houses built in their back yard.