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A decision on the Station Link Road application is expected to be made in October
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Fears expressed over Station Link Road scheme

By Laura Herbert
August 02, 2012

There are fears a multi-million pound scheme to ease congestion in Wokingham will move bottlenecks to elsewhere in the town.

Plans for the borough’s Station Link Road scheme, between Wokingham railway station forecourt and A329 Reading Road, have now been submitted to Wokingham Borough Council.

The scheme also includes new signal junctions in Reading Road, Shute End and Wellington Road, and improved pedestrian and cyclists facilities.

The investment in the link road is part of a wider project with Network Rail and South West Trains to demolish the railway station and rebuild it a short distance further down the track.

Although the plans aim to reduce congestion, there are concerns it will create problems in other parts of the town centre.

Melanie Mackie, who lives off Oxford Road, said: “The congestion is, as it stands, a nightmare but for us, it’s the Oxford Road junction.

“We are only going to be able to turn right instead of left and I’m not sure how that is going to benefit everybody because it is still a problem.

“It’s an inconvenience for the people who live in this part of Wokingham.”

Mrs Mackie added: “On the whole I think it’s good for Wokingham. Something has to change as they [the council] are limited as to what they can do.

“It’s a big job and having the link road I’m sure will make a lot of difference.”

Commenting on the plans online, one person, who also raised concerns about the Oxford Road area, said:

“There are serious concerns about the impact of traffic flow around the sites of Walter Infant School [in Murray Road], St Paul’s Junior [Oxford Road], and Meadow Nursery [Murray Road] which we feel have not been taken fully into account.”

The plans, which were submitted following a consultation earlier this year, were backed by 62 per cent of people in Wokingham.

Originally, cul-de-sac Alderman Willey Close was to become a through-route for traffic, but this has now been changed to a footpath following objections from residents.

An Alderman Willey Close resident said: “I agree the single carriageway should go ahead as soon as possible. It should make a lot of difference to traffic flow.”

The planning application asks to demolish 48 and 50 Reading Road and build the 336m long link road connecting Wellington Road and A329 Reading Road which will be part one-way and part two-way, create a combined footway and cycleway along the link road, a transport interchange at Wokingham railway station, four new traffic signal controlled junctions, two noise barriers and pedestrian crossings.

The transformation of Wokingham town centre is gathering pace as last month, the regeneration of the town centre took a huge leap forward as the development agreement between the council and developers was signed and a planning application to transform Peach Place is expected to be handed to the council soon.

A decision on the Station Link Road application is expected to be made by the council’s planning committee in October.

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Most recent user comments 11 of 11

@LarryS really? thanks for clearing that up..

So how many people exactly is that in favour? the link you posted is less than helpful for finding actual numbers, are we talking 10,50,100,500 people in favour against 30000 who had no idea OR where not in favour?

These are the facts that need to be made transparent by WBC and less difficult to find on the WBC website without having to resort to the FOI.

Local Woky, Wokingham
07/08/2012 at 22:40

Local Woky Local - Its 62% of those who took part in the consultation NOT 62% of 'people of Wokingham' as the story above incorrectly and misleadingly states. More details are here - http://www.wokingham.gov.uk/council/news-and-events/latest-news/planning-application-submitted-for-wokingham-station-link-road/

LarryS
04/08/2012 at 09:50

@Ossie - Oh dear.. :"> ...School boy error, you are 100% correct Sorry... My post should have been 62% and 38% but the same principle applies, WBC show us the survey details I'm looking forward to seeing the 62% quoted.

Local Woky, Wokingham
02/08/2012 at 23:11

Local Woky - I know we often hear of teams etc giving 110% but have yet to see a survey resulting in a 62%:48% answer! More seriously though the town needs to resolve this tricky conumdrum. For me I'm in the 62% camp as these seem to me to be the best way forward. Note to Editor - what is the source of the 62%? Can you publish the survey details eg surveys above 1000 with the right mix of contributors are deemed to be reliable I believe.

Ossie, wokingham
02/08/2012 at 22:46

from the amount of people i have spoken to around the wokingham area my opinion is that the majority are against the link road,and the residents of oxford road,murray road.meadow road and the surrounding roads are correct about the extra traffic.just look at how the current roadworks are affecting these roads at the moment.these have weight limits and are being used by heavy goods vehicles.i saw the police flash headlights to let an hgv through in oxford road, unbelievable.

right said fred
02/08/2012 at 21:05

...and you're bang on Mark S. could have put a new station there - a la Virginia Water - plenty of parking - a bit of retail etc... And dispense with the sorry excuse for a rail station this supposedly affluent town has. No ambition, no vision and hell bent on trying to make a silk purse from a sow's ear!

Tru Blue NoMore, WOKINGHAM
02/08/2012 at 20:01

Didn't they miss a trick when the cricket club relocated? Could've used that land and the football pitches/allotments to get over or under both railway lines - but no - let's just let our chums build some more Wendy houses on top of each other 2 yards from the main road and crack on with the important business of trying to make a rugby club suffer and synchronise roadworks to gridlock our ratepayers

Tru Blue NoMore, WOKINGHAM
02/08/2012 at 19:48

maybe there were 19 residents there (objecting) and 31 council employees/councillors... that'd explain the percentage in favour!

Damiano_Tommassi, Wokingham
02/08/2012 at 13:58

It would be better to relocate the station nearer town to the point where the line splits just like at Virginia Water Station. There would be several benefits to this. 1: The station would be closer to the town centre. 2: Trains which are waiting to cross the junction could be held at the station enabling slow trains to overtake fast trains. 3: The railway line could be partially sunk as it passes station road which is the only way to eventually enable a bridge to be built to replace the level crossing.

Mark Savill, Wokingham
02/08/2012 at 13:27

@Woky Local - What they mean is only 48% objected the rest did not know about it to object.

IF there are 62% of people who backed it, show the evidence not the statistics... Populate in excess of 30,000 people would mean that 18,600 comments of approval were received. In the last 10 years no one plan has received that many comments of approval I very much doubt that this one was the exception.