The issue:

Together with local residents and the Save Calcot Action Group (www.savepincentshill.co.uk & www.savecalcot.co.uk), local Councillors Joe Mooney, Tony Linden and Emma Webster and Alok successfully campaigned from September 2008 to June 2011 to stop developer Blue Living’s plans to build on Pincents Hill.

In 2009, developer Blue Living submitted a formal planning application to build 750 new homes and increase commercial capacity on the Pincents Hill site in Calcot. The vast majority of local residents opposed the proposed development arguing that the estimated extra 1,000-1,500 cars that this would bring to the local area would cause misery on already congested roads. It was also argued that the development would put huge pressure on already squeezed local services and the resulting loss of green space would seriously impinge on the quality of life of local residents.

Achievements in the campaign:

• In response to the proposed development, Alok along with local Councillors took part in several public meetings and organised a survey in an attempt to gauge local opinion.
• The survey had an overwhelming 896 responses, many submitting detailed comments and concerns. These included the likely negative impact on traffic flows, the impact on local public services such as schools and doctors’ surgeries, and the impact on the environment and wildlife and the potential loss of a valuable green space.
• Presented with such a clear demonstration of public opinion, West Berkshire Council took the decision to exclude Pincents Hill as a ‘strategic site’ from its local development plan at a meeting held in January 2010.
• Blue Living’s application was heard and rejected by West Berkshire Council's Eastern Area Planning Committee during a public planning meeting in February 2010.
• Blue Living launched an appeal against the Council’s decision.
• Alok spoke out against the development at a Public Inquiry, and in June 2011 Blue Living’s appeal was rejected by the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government and by the Planning Inspector.
• In 2014, agents acting for the owners of Pincents Hill put the site forward for inclusion in West Berkshire Council’s Housing Site Allocations Development Plan Document (DPD), suggesting that the site could take between 225 and 300 homes.
• In response to this proposal, Alok launched a residents’ survey to seek residents’ views on how many homes they believe the site is suitable for and the impact that building up to 300 homes would have on traffic, school places and GP surgeries.
• The overwhelming majority of those who responded to Alok’s survey did not want to see this site developed. Alok encouraged respondents to register their views as part of West Berkshire Council’s public consultation on its draft DPD.
• Again, with the support of local residents and District Councillors, Pincents Hill was not included in the DPD.
• In September 2018, a fresh attempt was made to consider development on Pincents Hill and the site owner, U+I plc, along with its advisor, TOWN, held a series of public exhibitions to explain their proposals for development on Pincents Hill.
• In October 2018, Alok launched another residents’ survey to seek the views of local residents about the proposals.
• Click here to view Pincents Hill Survey Results
• In early 2019, U+I and TOWN submitted a planning application for the Pincents Hill site, application ref: 19/00113/OUTMAJ.
• Alok formally objected to this application and amended plans in February 2020, February 2021 and October 2021, and regularly wrote to the respondents of his survey to encourage local residents to formally register their views with West Berkshire Council as part of their consultation on the application.
• There was also a huge campaign headed by the Combined Save Pincents Hill and Save Calcot Action Groups, that worked tirelessly to spread the word about the application amongst local residents.
• In December 2021, Alok wrote to the Rt Hon Michael Gove MP, Secretary of State for Levelling Up, Housing & Communities, to request a Call-In of the application because of local views that the granting of planning permission would be contrary to some of West Berkshire Council’s own planning policies, as well as the National Planning Policy Framework.
• The planning application was scheduled to be heard by West Berkshire Council’s Eastern Area Planning Committee on Wednesday 19 January 2022. Alok spoke at the Committee, voicing his continued concerns about the application. Representatives from Tilehurst Parish Council, Holybrook Parish Council, and the Combined Save Pincents Hill and Save Calcot Action Group also spoke in opposition to the planning application, along with local residents and West Berkshire Councillors for Tilehurst Birch Copse ward, Jo Stewart and Tony Linden.
• After 3 hours of discussion, members of West Berkshire Council’s Eastern Area Planning Committee unanimously voted to refuse the application. Alok has also received confirmation from the Department for Levelling Up, Housing & Communities that no further action needs to be taken in respect to the Call-In request, given that the planning application has been refused.
• However, West Berkshire Council officers subsequently referred the planning application to the District Planning Committee for determination. In response to this, Alok wrote again to the Department for Levelling Up, Housing & Communities to ask for a Call-In of the application.
• The West Berkshire Council District Planning Committee considered the application on Wednesday 13 April 2022. Alok spoke at the meeting and the Committee rejected the application.

Alok says:

“I have been campaigning to protect the Pincents Hill site since before I was elected as the Member of Parliament for Reading West in 2010 and I have always been supportive of retaining Pincents Hill as a community amenity. I want to pay tribute to West Berkshire Councillors Jo Stewart and Tony Linden, the parish councils and all the local residents, especially the members of the combined Save Pincents Hill and Save Calcot Action Groups, who have worked so hard and with such great determination to oppose this planning application. I am delighted that local voices were heard loud and clear – a clear victory for localism!”

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