Press Releases

Loddon Valley Action, the Woodley community group that’s been successfully fighting proposals to remove potentially dangerous landfill waste from Sandford Farm and build 450 new homes, is to register a complaint about the Conservative leader of Wokingham District Council, Frank Browne.

The move adds to mounting local concern surrounding Cllr Browne’s acceptance of a paid position with Green Issues, the PR firm retained by developers Hicks Persimmon to lobby for the Council’s approval of its Sandford Farm proposals. The application is still under consideration as Hicks Persimmon has yet to provide a revised environmental statement requested at the close of 2003.

“We’re absolutely appalled that Cllr Browne chooses to accept employment with a firm whose business encroaches so directly on his public duties with the Council,” said LVAG spokesperson George Puttock.

He continued: “There is quite clearly a huge conflict of interest, no matter what Cllr Browne might say to the contrary. Although Sandford Farm is not in his ward, as Council leader he is active in all Council policy and decision-making, including planning and development. It’s nonsense to suppose he can stand aside from matters relating to Sandford Farm.

“Everyone should be concerned. We should expect total scrupulousness from our local representatives so they can represent everyone fairly and impartially – not a cuddling up with commercial lobbyists whose involvement is solely one-sided and not in the best interests of local people.”

LVAG will register its complaint with the Standards Board for England, which regulates the behaviour of local councilors and local authority members. Cllr Browne has already faced one Standards Board investigation into his role in pushing through plans for 42 new homes on Woodley open space at Southlake Infant School.

“I think we’ve all had too much of spin and cronyism at national government level,” added George Puttock. “Now it seems we have to contend with it right on our own doorstep, too.”

Wokingham Unitary Authority has formally rejected the Environmental Statement submitted by Hicks Persimmon in support of its applications to remove hazardous landfill and build 450 homes at Sandford Farm¹ .

In an eight-page letter to the developers, the Council calls for more detailed information as part of a total resubmission of the Statement. The new Statement will then be subject to a fresh period of public consultation, a process likely to defer any decision on the plans until at least May 2004.

This decision effectively scuppers Hicks Persimmon’s self-imposed deadline, as stated in the application documents, for ‘a positive response’ to its proposals no later than November 2003. This was an attempt to avoid new EU legislative controls on landfill (effective 14 July 2004) and lack of capacity at the Lea Farm and Whistley Court landfill sites in Hurst. These are targeted to receive the waste excavated from Sandford Farm but both are due to be fully restored by September 2005.

The Council’s letter reflects the reservations of the Environment Agency, other statutory consultees like English Nature and the concerns raised by local residents who sent in over 500 letters of opposition to the proposals. More than 2400 also signed a petition against the development, which was presented to the Council in October.

The issues raised by the Council are wide ranging and cast doubts on the practical feasibility and suitability of de-watering, removing and draining Sandford Farm waste for transportation and redeposit. They challenge the developer’s suggestions that unpleasant smells resulting from the toxic landfill excavation would be generated only at the centre of the site, describing these as ‘unrealistic’. The Council also seeks further clarification on lorry movements, bus services to the site, extra traffic generation on Bader Way and various ecological and flood issues.

“We’re pleased that the Council has insisted on a thorough review and taken into account many of the concerns raised by local people, in particular the very real threat to health and safety posed by the proposals to disturb and excavate 300,000 cubic metres of waste close to people’s homes,” said Phil Challis of Woodley’s Loddon Valley Action Group (LVAG), which has been co-ordinating community opposition with the Hurst Village Society (HVS).

“The Council’s response confirms our view that the developer’s Environment Statement was heavyweight in volume but very lightweight in detail.”

He went on, “In addition to issues raised in connection with the Environment Statement, there are many reasons why this project should be rejected, such as the sustainability of any development and its impact on the already overstretched services in Woodley. LVAG will continue to focus on these until this bizarre proposal is finally rejected.”

HVS Chairman Nick Willson added, "The Council has requested a detailed response on how the transfer of waste to Lea Farm and Whistley Court Farm will be managed. HVS will scrutinise the new information carefully."

Local Woodley residents are up in arms about acrid smells, unidentified foam overflows and noise emanating from an apparent test site on the proposed Sandford Farm development.

The tests are taking place even though applications to remove old landfill waste and build 450 houses have yet to be heard by the local planning authority. Local residents, some in Anthian Close no more than 10 metres away, received no warning that this work was about to begin and it is causing distress and concern.

The work has involved a field tank spewing foam and acrid smells on to ground and into the air, water labelled ‘contaminated’ being pumped into a public drain in Beggars Hill Road and a noisy generator and pump working all night contrary to all normal restrictions.

Phil Challis spokesperson for Loddon Valley Action (LVAG) which, with the Hurst Village Society, has been campaigning against the Sandford Farm proposals, said, “We’ve been promised all sorts of schemes to reduce smell and toxic dust should the bizarre applications to risk the removal of old landfill actually go ahead, but it appears no such considerations apply to these trials.

“The council and other agencies have generally been very professional in their approach to the planning applications, but it has been very difficult to find a single point of responsibility for these trials. No one seems to be in charge.”

When challenged by concerned residents, Wokingham Council’s Environmental Health department claimed the works cover a de-watering feasibility study to determine how much groundwater needs to be pumped out before the landfill can be excavated.

The Council’s legal department, on the other hand, reported that the site is waterlogged due to a cracked pipe and that water had to be drained away to carry out the testing.

Anthian Close resident Joe Beckett whose home is directly opposite the works says that assurances about the safety of operations are not convincing.

“This whole situation highlights the potential health hazards of removing waste from the site,” he said. “The smell is dreadful and not something that residents could reasonably be expected to tolerate even for a short length of time if extraction was to take place.”

Phil Challis added, “The whole exercise makes a nonsense of the consultation that developers Hicks Persimmon and its PR firm Green Issues claim to have with local people. No one directly affected by these disturbances has been advised of what’s going on, or for how long.

“Naturally alarm bells ring when unidentified foam is seen gushing out of a tank, smells proliferate and water marked ‘contaminated’ is pumped into the main drainage system just outside people’s back gardens.

“It just confirms our fears that the developers are not interested in managing the health issues that concern local residents the most.”

A petition signed by more than 2400 local Woodley residents who are against the Hicks Persimmon proposals to develop Sandford Farm was presented at the full Council meeting of the Wokingham Unitary Authority at Shute End, Wokingham on Thursday 30 October.

The petition, organised by the Loddon Valley Action Group (LVAG), represents the culmination of four months joint protest against the proposals by both the LVAG and the Hurst Village Society.

It cements local opposition that has also been expressed in more than 500 individual letters of protest to the Council from residents, an unprecedented response, and by the unanimous opposition of all major political parties, including local MPs Jane Griffiths (Labour, Reading East) and Theresa May (Conservative, Maidenhead).

The petition confirms Woodley’s protest against the Sandford Farm proposals on the key issues of health, local infrastructure and damage to the environment. First, plans to excavate 300,000 cubic metres of hazardous waste from the old landfill within metres of existing homes, and its transfer to Lea Farm in Hurst, is both dangerous and needless. The consequences of disturbing waste that has already been buried in a stable landfill are unknown yet potentially harmful to the health of those living in the area.

The proposal to build 450 houses on the refilled site is unsustainable and will place additional strain on already crowded roads and overstretched local amenities such as schools, doctors and dentists.

Collectively, both proposals will result in the pollution of the River Loddon and the immediate countryside.

They will also damage the sustainability of rare plant and wildlife habitats particularly in the vicinity of Lavells Lake, which is on the proposed route for the excavated waste between Sandford Farm and Lea Farm.

LVAG’s Phil Challis said, “As a group we have worked hard to ensure that council officers and councillors are aware of the problems of developing this site for houses.

Over 1000 Woodley residents signed a petition at the weekend against the proposed development at Sandford Farm. The petition, part of the campaign by Loddon Valley Action and Hurst Village Society, also received support from all of the major political parties.

Sam Samuel (Liberal, Chairman Woodley Town Council) was one of the first to sign on Saturday morning saying , "I have been fighting proposals for housing on Sandford Farm since I was on Berkshire County Council - and they are still coming. Let's kill this once and for all. Airfield residents have been under threat of housing development and the resulting opening of the landfill site for too long. The Loddon Valley Action Group is to be congratulated on producing one of the best argued cases I have seen during this time and I am happy to support their petition."

Jane Griffiths (Labour, MP for Reading East) also went along to show her support for the campaign and spent an hour discussing issues with her constituents. She commented: "I fully support the government's efforts to ensure that brown field sites are developed and that these new developments are sustainable with alternative transportation such as bus lanes. However, I am opposed to the Sandford Farm development, as Sandford Farm is definitely not a brown field site and the proposed bus lane will destroy a very effective cycle path ands will be very dangerous. I believe it is a very ill considered proposal."

Later on Saturday afternoon a group of LVA campaigners spoke to Theresa May (Conservative, MP for Maidenhead) as she campaigned in her constituency at Anthian Close in Woodley. Theresa May signed the petition and said, "I will fight with local people against this development which would be wrong for Woodley. I am worried about the plan to remove the waste and about the impact of moving it to Hurst. I do not believe the tip should be disturbed. I urge the Council to listen to the voice of local people and reject the applications."

Phil Challis, Chairman of LVA said, "The level of public opposition to the proposals at Sandford Farm is overwhelming. At times on Saturday we had queues of people waiting to sign the petition. People were very determined to sign."

In addition to the large number of people signing the petition, Wokingham Council have received more than 500 letters from the public objecting to the proposals (LVA believe that there has been only one letter in support). Phil Challis said, "By signing the petition and by writing letters to the Council, the residents of Woodley, Hurst and Charvil have clearly said 'No' to Sandford Farm. We believe that this weekend has demonstrated that the elected representatives of all parties have taken notice of this opposition and will help to ensure that this unwanted and unnecessary proposal is refused."

Posters highlighting the principal objections to developers’ plans for Sandford Farm are going up all over Woodley this week (commencing 29 September). Another is being distributed direct to some 1200 local residents with a request that it is displayed prominently for others to see.

The ‘Say No!’ poster campaign features six designs that focus on key concerns arising from the Hicks Persimmon proposals to disturb existing landfill waste at Sandford Farm and build 450 homes on the site. These include the threat to local homes and health from the removal of toxic waste, the impact of extra traffic on Woodley roads and the inability of Woodley schools and doctors’ surgeries to cope with the influx of new homes.

“The posters are designed to extend the protest campaign beyond the area immediately affected by the proposals and make the whole of Woodley aware of the issues,” said LVAG’s George Puttock. “The letter-box delivery also gives residents living near Sandford Farm the opportunity to get involved by displaying a poster in a front window.

“This poster – ‘Woodley Says No!!’ - also promotes our petition against the development which LVAG will be organising shortly.”

Fears for the future of rare birds known to frequent Lavell’s Lake in Woodley are being raised among local conservationists in the wake of the proposal to build 450 homes at Sandford Farm.

Lavell's Lake lies immediately adjacent to the development site across the River Loddon and is nationally known for its wintering bitterns, as well as attracting barn owl, kingfisher and a wide range of other wildfowl and wetland species that all benefit from its undisturbed habitats. These are co-managed by the Friends of Lavells Lake, a 200 strong charity group that works to maintain the Lake’s natural environment, allowing such rare winter birds as bitterns to return every year.

Chairman of the Friends, Fraser Cottington, is afraid that almost 20 years’ work by the charity could be jeopardised if the go-ahead is given to the houses and the necessary removal of 300,000 cubic metres of unknown landfill waste to pits in Hurst. This will be transported across the Loddon via a new bailey bridge close to Lavell’s Lake and the winter home of the bitterns.

“Lorry-loads of noxious waste thundering just 70 metres behind our reserve, the potential damage from any waste spills and years of noisy construction work are likely to drive all the shy species like the bittern away, maybe for good,” said Mr. Cottington. “It’s a secretive bird, which is why we try to protect its roosting area from intrusion.

“We’ve worked hard in developing the bittern’s reed bed habitat at Lavell’s and that’s brought us visits nearly every winter since 1983,” he went on. “Remarkably a bird even spent all summer here this year - but this effort will have been in vain if the area’s tranquility is destroyed.”

Mr. Cottington also expressed concern for the future of barn owls in the area. He said: “There have been breeding successes for barn owls around Sandford Farm and the surrounding area this year, thanks to existing rough ground habitats that provide an ideal hunting ground free from pesticides. Excavation and development will ruin this habitat.

“Furthermore, disturbance to wildlife will continue long after any construction is complete as more people move in, bringing more litter and making more noise. Too many dogs not kept on leads, and roaming through undergrowth, will disturb nesting birds.

“This stretch of valuable river and wetland habitat could be destroyed forever.”

· The number of bitterns, a brown heron driven to the brink of extinction, is now thought to amount to at least 42 males nationally, four times the level recorded six years ago. The population is measured in males because of their booming mating calls – their camouflage makes them very difficult to count otherwise.

Opposition to the disturbance and removal of old landfill waste at Sandford Farm in Woodley is hardening in the wake of medical research into the congenital birth defects of babies born near landfill sites.

A recent research paper published in the British Medical Journal[1] found excess risks of low birth weight and conditions such as spina bifida and abdominal wall defects near UK landfill sites. It notes that human exposure to potentially damaging toxic chemicals can occur through the dispersion of contaminated air and soil or via leaching and runoff, conditions likely to be found at Sandford Farm should plans for the removal to Hurst of 300,000 cubic metres of waste go ahead. Developers Hicks Persimmon plan 450 homes on the site.

Dr. Jeremy Lade of the Loddon Vale Practice, which is the nearest doctor’s practice to the Sandford Farm site, has been a Woodley GP for 30 years. He said, "This latest research only confirms my view that residents, particularly those living just a few metres from the site, should not be exposed to unnecessary risks from this bizarre proposal.

“It is impossible to predict the nature of the local effects that might result from digging up this waste, drying it out on the site and then transporting it in bulk across the River Loddon. I certainly believe the process would take much longer than the eight months the developers suggest.”

Dr. Lade, a veteran of previous local environment campaigns, spent three years studying waste disposal in the Woodley area. “Contrary to current recommended practice, no measures were taken to separate industrial, commercial and special materials at Sandford Farm,” he continued. “Many of them were hazardous and toxic and no record was kept of where they were deposited.”

Phil Challis of Loddon Valley Action added: “The Woodley Airfield development was not there at the time the landfill was operational and so there were few people in the area to be affected by it. Now there are homes bordering the old landfill site.

“What this research highlights is the potential threat to residents from proposals to excavate and expose in just eight months what took more than 30 years to bury.”

[1] Risk of adverse birth outcomes in populations living near landfill sites, BMJ, 18 August 2001

-end-

The Hurst Village Society (HVS) and the Loddon Valley Action Group (LVAG) based in Woodley are to pool resources in a joint effort to co-ordinate local opposition to the development of Sandford Farm off Mohawk Way in Woodley.

In particular, the two groups intend capitalising on the groundswell of local opposition to the plans demonstrated by some 260 residents at the 24 July public meeting at Woodley’s Coronation Hall.

Sandford Farm is currently the subject of two planning applications. The first is to excavate 300,000 cubic metres of existing landfill of largely unknown content and dump it across the River Loddon at Lea Farm and Whistley Court Farm in Hurst, all ahead of a new European directive that will prohibit such movement after 15 July 2004. The second is to build 450 homes on the refilled site.

The alliance between the HVS and LVAG is driven by the threat to both communities posed by the development. The planned movement of the Sandford Farm waste will expose areas of Hurst and Woodley to excessive works noise, pests, smells and waste spillage, as well as the possibility of subsidence to neighbouring properties in Woodley. The proposed housing development will have huge, negative implications for the area’s already overburdened roads, schools and amenities.

Both Groups have excellent campaign records within their communities – HVS in protecting and maintaining the physical element and rural aspect of Hurst, and LVAG in contesting previous developers’ plans for the Sandford Farm site.