What area are we concerned about?

Broken Brow, the Thames Path and Coal Woodland constitute a green lung bordering the River Thames. It is edged by mature woodland and provides a rich habitat for wildlife, including: birds, reptiles, small mammals, bats and insects.

This stretch of the Thames riverside is well used and enjoyed by nature lovers, joggers, cyclists, families, dog walkers alike. It is currently under threat.

What is the threat?

In 2018 Reading Borough Council tried to build a concrete flyover alongside the Thames and bridging over the Kennetmouth and through Coal Woodland. Known as the East Reading MRT the scheme contravened many local and national planning policies designed to protect green space.

The people of Wokingham and Reading, along with Wokingham Borough Council stopped the flyover, but incredibly the fight is not over.

The MRT, now called the East Reading Fast Track Public Transport (FTPT) scheme is in Reading’s New Local Plan and Wokingham council have sadly declared their section of Thames riverbank as safeguarded for strategic transport network improvements.

What has prompted our campaign?

We are focusing on how to protect the riverside for future generations. Key to this is an acknowledgement from Wokingham and Reading Councils that the area is ‘Local Green Space’ and will not be developed on.

Local Green Space designation is a way to provide special protection against development for green areas of particular importance to local communities.

In Wokingham Council’s 2020 ‘Local Green Space Topic Paper’ the riverside was not recommended as Local Green Space.

The evidence presented in the paper was partial, misleading, factually incorrect and completely omitted any mention of the enduring efforts of local people to protect the space over decades that provides ample proof of the importance of the space to local people.

Why do we need funds?

We need to reach the many thousands of people in the area who are unaware that the riverside is still under threat. Please give what you can to fund an advertising campaign to reach those who do not know what the councils are planning.

If you believe that this precious Thames riverside land should be for everyone, please make a donation and share this campaign with your friends and family.

Thanks in advance for your support

Our website: https://saveourancientriverside.co.uk/.