5 April 2012
Following the approval for the Ikea store at the Pincents Lane Retail Park by West Berkshire Council’s Eastern Area Planning Committee on 4 April local MP Alok Sharma, who attended the planning meeting, commented:
“Whilst I, and many of my constituents, have always welcomed the jobs Ikea will bring, we have had serious concerns about potential traffic congestion on local roads. On jobs I was very pleased that, on the suggestion of Councillor Pamela Bale and others, Ikea will be required to demonstrate that local residents will benefit from the new employment opportunities being created.”
Alok continued: “However in terms of potential traffic issues, many of the local residents and parish and district council representatives, remained sceptical about the assumptions being made in Ikea’s transport flow model. Those who voted to approve the application have put their faith in a computer transport model which very few at the meeting understood.”
Alok added: “Councillor Brian Bedwell made a very sensible suggestion that the decision be deferred until representatives from parish councils and others had had an opportunity for a detailed and further review of Ikea’s assumptions. Councillor Bedwell also made the reasonable suggestion that the committee consider asking Ikea to put aside some additional funds for further traffic mitigation measures in case its traffic projections prove to be understated. Neither point was discussed by the planning committee.”
Alok noted further: “It was a split vote on the committee and I would much rather have preferred a unanimous decision, after a review of the traffic issues highlighted by local community representatives, and allowing local residents further comfort on the traffic mitigation measures outlined.”
Alok concluded: “I very much hope Ikea’s assumptions on traffic flows are right otherwise a planning decision made in haste will be repented at leisure by local residents stuck in traffic jams.”
“Whilst I, and many of my constituents, have always welcomed the jobs Ikea will bring, we have had serious concerns about potential traffic congestion on local roads. On jobs I was very pleased that, on the suggestion of Councillor Pamela Bale and others, Ikea will be required to demonstrate that local residents will benefit from the new employment opportunities being created.”
Alok continued: “However in terms of potential traffic issues, many of the local residents and parish and district council representatives, remained sceptical about the assumptions being made in Ikea’s transport flow model. Those who voted to approve the application have put their faith in a computer transport model which very few at the meeting understood.”
Alok added: “Councillor Brian Bedwell made a very sensible suggestion that the decision be deferred until representatives from parish councils and others had had an opportunity for a detailed and further review of Ikea’s assumptions. Councillor Bedwell also made the reasonable suggestion that the committee consider asking Ikea to put aside some additional funds for further traffic mitigation measures in case its traffic projections prove to be understated. Neither point was discussed by the planning committee.”
Alok noted further: “It was a split vote on the committee and I would much rather have preferred a unanimous decision, after a review of the traffic issues highlighted by local community representatives, and allowing local residents further comfort on the traffic mitigation measures outlined.”
Alok concluded: “I very much hope Ikea’s assumptions on traffic flows are right otherwise a planning decision made in haste will be repented at leisure by local residents stuck in traffic jams.”