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Cllr Mike Haines said: 'I think pretty much everybody in the village has objected in one way or another'
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Park & Ride go-ahead at Reading Rugby Club

By Laura Herbert
August 01, 2012

A park and ride at Reading Rugby Football Club has officially been given the go-ahead, seven years after the service was set up.

Bosses at the club put forward a retrospective planning application for the micro park and ride at the club in Holme Park, Sonning, which has served nearby Thames Valley Business Park since October 2005.

The application for a two-year agreement was approved by Wokingham Borough Council’s planning committee last Wednesday, despite fears over traffic.

People in Sonning believe the service impacts on traffic moving through the village, and 178 letters of objection were sent to the council.

Speaking at the meeting, Tony Thorpe, of Sonning and Sonning Eye Society, said: “Approval will create an unfortunate precedent, open the floodgates and encourage other applications by neighbouring sports facilities.”

Sonning parish councillor Pat Doyle described the proposal as “completely unsupportable”.

The park and ride runs weekdays between 7am and 7pm and can hold up to 150 cars and three buses which run every 15 minutes from 7.15am to 10.45am and from 3.30pm to 6.45pm.

Craig Hunter, speaking on behalf of the club, told the committee: “We realise this application is not to everyone’s liking.

“We have done everything we can to alleviate the community’s concerns.

“We believe the proposal accords with planning policy.

“The key issue, and what members of the public have expressed most about, is the impact on highways.

“This park and ride activity has been going on for seven years and I suggest people may have only just come to realise this is happening. We are not the main cause of traffic in Sonning.”

Wokingham borough councillor Mike Haines said: “This is a complex issue. The rugby club does offer many services to the community however, running this micro park and ride is not the way to do it.

“There is a massive amount of objection and I have received an additional 96 signatures. I think pretty much everybody in the village has objected in one way or another.”

He continued: “Reading thought about having a similar thing in Palmer Park and Caversham and they have been dropped in the face of strong local opposition.”

Chair of the committee Cllr Simon Weeks put forward a proposal to refuse the application, stating it contradicted part of the council’s planning policy. The proposal was rejected and the plans were given approval.

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Most recent user comments 7 of 7

Ha, Ha – just got to laugh Just had a word with a friend who lives in that lane right by RRFC – this is the first he had heard of this and as it’s been going for so long is not bothered about it

He said he has never had a problem with excessive traffic, noise etc so what’s the worry?

Sounds like the Nimby Chavs in the village are getting a bit uppity again – even though the nearest houses are over 1/2 mile from it!

Obviously not any noticeable difference in the traffic in the last 7 years – that or they have their heads so far up their own a**** they hadn’t noticed!

A Concerned Local, Reading
02/08/2012 at 16:43

"They also provide a lot of support to various charity organisations, so locals just shut up" - excellent attitude...

Damiano_Tommassi, Wokingham
02/08/2012 at 13:54

@ a concerned local - well said!! Blue Coat is the main cause of traffic issues....hence I won't be sending my son there any time soon! well to be fair, the traffic issues aren't the only reason.

Reading RFC does a lot of extremely good work for the community, not just offering a great rugby club for young people and adults alike. They also provide a lot of support to various charity organisations, so locals just shut up and go and get a life, there are far more important issues to worry about in the world.

Triple OOO
02/08/2012 at 11:33

@ ray northstander, sounds like some there deserves a nice big bonus for being so green! ;)

Bruce Wayne
01/08/2012 at 10:55

Hang on a minute

This has ALREADY been running for the last 7 years and the people in Sonning obviously haven’t noticed it

As I come through there everyday I often wondered why a few cars went down that lane – I thought (especially as most have young kids in) they where doing an early run to the nursery that’s also there

And there are a lot more cars etc going in/out of Bluecoat School at that time of the day – do people object to them?

As for the times I would imagine it fills up well before 9:00 and only covers a business park hence no need for extra buses during the day – plus its only a 1.5 mile walk as well!

The only changes would be to make it bigger for more vehicles to use it and/or the buses to run on into Reading, but as all the routes / buses etc all come under WBC I cannot see that happening

I am guessing that as it’s been running all this time there will be no changes and the retrospective application is just to finalise it!

A Concerned Local, Reading
01/08/2012 at 09:53

As far as I understand it, this isn't really a scheme aimed at the general public, g-o-m. It's kind of a perk for one of the employers at TVP, who is also one of the main sponsors of the Rugby club. That company's employees can use the scheme, and the employer can point to it reducing congestion, its carbon footprint, and its commitment to the local community, if you know what I mean.

ray northstander
01/08/2012 at 09:49

Park and ride to where ? Between Reading Rugby Club in Sonning lane and Thames Valley Business Park ? It runs between 7am and 7pm yet no buses between 10.45am and 3.30pm !