The council has defended approving plans for a new drive-thru restaurant in an area prone to flooding.
Winnersh Triangle between Wokingham and Reading is often subject to flooding due to its proximity to the River Loddon.
Winnersh Retail Park and the Showcase Cinema car park recently became out of use due to flooding after heavy rainfall and snow across the county.
Plans for a new Five Guys Drive-thru were approved in November, which will see two new lanes built on the car park of the cinema complex.
It will result in around 56 car parking spaces being lost, according to plans.
Wokingham Borough Councillor for Winnersh Paul Fishwick, who recently passed away, raised concerns over the plans at the time, arguing that the area is closed off due to flooding on a ‘frequent basis’.
Winnersh Parish Council similarly took issue with this, but also argued there could be more littering on the site due to the new restaurant.
Recent flooding due to wet weather this month has seen residents raise concerns again, arguing that the new site could exacerbate existing issues.
But Wokingham Borough Council has defended approving the plans after being given the green light by the Environment Agency and internal planning officers.
Council Leader Stephen Conway said: “As we all know, one of the impacts of climate change is an increased risk of flooding.
“Our local plan and planning policies follow national guidance which tries to minimise the risk of flooding.”
The Liberal Democrat added the application to build the restaurant was approved in 2022, while a slightly altered version of plans were then accepted in November last year.
Cllr Conway said: “The Environment Agency (EA) is responsible for managing flooding from main rivers, including the River Loddon which runs along the east side of the Showcase Cinema site.
“The EA were consulted on this application as the site is in the River Loddon’s flood plain, and did not object. They were also consulted on all historical development in the flood plain in this area.”
The authority’s own flooding and drainage team were also consulted as part of the application process. The team found that the surface water would ‘function under normal conditions’, so raised no objection to the scheme.
“High river levels impeded storm water from draining away, as occurred in this instance,” Cllr Conway added.
Based on these factors the council had no ‘technical flooding reason’ to refuse the application, he said.
Once built, it will become the second Five Guys drive-thru in the country.
