IKEA Planning Application – Comment by 3rd February
IKEA have submitted a revised planning application to build a new store just over the motorway from Theale, near Sainsbury’s, in Calcot. Some people think the store will be a traffic nightmare for Theale. Others welcome the 400 new jobs in the area. What do YOU think?
Some of us in the village will have received a letter from West Berkshire Council, which states that the main changes to the application are as follows (quote):
- Changes to the servicing arrangement to avoid the use of Nunhide Lane
- Alterations to the bus pull in area to avoid taking access from nunhide Lane
- Alterations to the building to include: changing the colouring of the treatment of the northern and eastern elevations to a grey graduated colour, lowering of the building by approximately O.5m and the car park by O.2m
- Amendments to landscaping
- Introduction of a new crossing facility located to the south of the multi-storey car park and changes to the footways/cycleways
- Alterations to the car park layout
- Amendments to the junction improvements proposed at Junction 12 of the M4, additional alterations at the Sainsbury’s roundabout and Calcot interchange, alterations at the A4 Bath Road/Charrington Road/Royal Avenue and the A4 Bath Road/Langley Hill/Pollards Way junctions.
The following documents have been identified as being updated to reflect the proposed changes by the council (quote):
- Planning Statement Addendum
- Statement of Community Involvement Addendum
- Environmental Statement Addendum to include revised photomontages
- Environmental Statement Addendum Non-Technical Summary
- Transport Assessment Addendum
- Desiqn and Access Statement Addendum
The council states that the submission of new plans and information is to include (quote):
- Long Site Section drawing
- Building Heights Analysis drawing
- Building Footprint Analysis drawing
- Indicative elevations/cross sections of Nunhide Lane;
- Long Section to Berkshire Circular Route (Public Footpath)
To view and comment on the planning application, visit the West Berkshire Council website at www.westberks.gov.uk/planning, select “View or comment”, and type in the planning application reference number, which is: 11/00218/COMIND.
The deadline to comment on the application is: 3rd February 2012.
You can also see IKEA’s view of the site at: www.ikea-calcot-consultation.co.uk.
Please not that any comments left on thealevillage.com will not be reviewed by West Berkshire Council. If you want to comment to the council regarding the planning application, you need to use the website as described above.
That said, if you want to express your view to users of this website, feel free to comment below!
Theale Newsletter, Winter 2011 Issue – Online Now!
The latest edition of the Theale Newsletter is now available online. To read the newsletter, simply click on the image to the left.
As ever, the printed edition of the newsletter is also available in public locations, such as the Theale Parish Council offices and the Library.
You can also read all previous editions of the newsletter, by going to the Newsletters page.
Activities Planned At The Library!
A host of new activities have been anounced by the library. (Click on the images below to see the full-sized flyer):
“Storytime” starts on Friday 13th of January, and takes place every Friday morning during term time.
“Animals Week” is taking place from Monday 13th to Saturday 18th of February.
National Libraries Day takes place on Saturday 4th February, and Theale library is playing its part!
You can contact the library on 0118 930 3207 or see more information – such as opening times – at the library’s page on the West Bershire Council web site.
Theale Railway Station Improvements Announced
Last week the Transport Minister, Norman Baker, announced a list of stations that are to undergo improvements as part of the “Access For All” programme. Theale station is one of the 39 stations identified for improvements, for which £1.25 million has been set aside for a “new footbridge with 3 lifts“.
Below is a press release from Alok Sharma’s office:
“Alok Sharma, Reading West MP, and Roger York, Chairman of Theale’s Future which is a sub-committee of Theale Parish Council, have welcomed Rail Minister Norman Baker’s announcement on Tuesday 6th December that Theale railway station will benefit from investment of £1.25 million to provide a new footbridge and three lifts, which will make Theale station more easily accessible. Theale’s Future has been campaigning for improved access to Theale station and Alok has previously raised the matter with First Great Western, which operates the station.
The Government funding is being provided as part of the Department for Transport’s (DfT) Access for All scheme which is a key part of the Government’s strategy to improve the accessibility of Great Britain’s railway stations. This funding is specifically targeted at providing infrastructure improvements at stations which will enable more disabled people to access the rail network.
First Great Western (FGW), which made the funding bid to the DfT’s Access for All scheme, will be working with Network Rail and the DfT to install the new footbridge and lifts. FGW is now working on the timescales for implementation of the project.
Alok said: “I welcome the Government’s £1.25 million investment which is excellent news for my constituents in Theale who travel by rail. For many people, whether they are elderly, disabled or parents with prams, getting from the station entrance and on to the train can be the hardest part of their trip, and the improvements at Theale station will help make journeys easier.”
Roger York, Chairman of Theale’s Future, said: “Theale’s Future and the community of Theale are extremely pleased with this news. Access has long been a problem for mothers with buggies and impossible for wheelchair users. We owe special thanks to Andy Button of Theale’s Future for his leadership in pursuing this and to Alok Sharma for promoting our cause.”
David Wood, Chairman of Theale Parish Council, said: “I am absolutely delighted with this fantastic news. It shows that we can make a difference. This will not only help the disabled but also young mums with pushchairs, passengers with luggage, and cyclists who need to take their bikes on a train. I have struggled many times on the existing stairs which are really quite dangerous.”
You can see more details of the programme and how other stations will be improved at the Transport For All website.
Of course, this is only the first step. We need to keep the pressure on and track the progress of this project to ensure that the plans are implemented, and the village gets the improvements it needs.
This is fantastic news for Theale and, as you have read above, has come about as a result of persistent effort from a number of people in our community.
Organising an Event? Let us Know!
Christmas and New year are fast approaching, and we’d like to know what what events are taking place up to the end of the year and beyond so we can publicise it on this website’s What’s On page.
If you are organising an event, please let us know by using the Contact Us form. Information we would need to know:
- Event Name
- Event Description
- Event Location
- Start Date
- Start Time
- End Date
- End Time
- If the event is repeated, and if so, how often and for how long
If you can provide these details, we can update the What’s On page for all to see.
If you have a poster, we may well be able to add that to the site too, or the village notice board outside the Co-op. In this case, email the above information and the poster to tf@thealevillage.com.
Share your thoughts..