READING Borough Council has raised concerns that three sites in Southcote could face development plans as they go up for sale.
A resident spotted that sites in Southcote Farm, a brownfield area, were up for sale and contacted local councillors.
The listings on property website Rightmove show that three areas around Southcote Lock are up for sale, with a 12-acre site, a 26-acre site, and a 55.4-acre site are all up for sale ahead of auction.
The sites are also open for pre-auction sales, with a guide price of £500,000, £450,000, and £800,000 respectively.
The site is described as “NOT within greenbelt or AONB” [Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty], a blend of grassland and woodland in “a vibrant area.”
The council has resisted development on the site, including in 2004 when it opposed plans to develop a complex on the site by Prudential.
It went to a public enquiry, which ruled in favour of the council.
The land forms part of the Kennet and Holy Brook meadows, identified as a Local Wildlife site of “significant” interest and with potential for biological enhancement.
This means that permission to develop on the land will not be granted without proof that plans will not negatively affect wildlife.
Its identification as a functional floodplain means that only development deemed “water-compatible” will be permitted, per the council’s Local Planning Policy.
The council’s Consumer Protection team formally wrote to the auctioneer last week to remind the company of the legal status of the land and implore that they describe the land fully and accurately in all marketing literature.
Cllr John Ennis, lead for climate strategy, said: “People in Southcote are very worried about it, and Reading’s Local Plan clearly outlines several key policies which directly relate to Southcote Farm.
“Aside from it being on floodplain, it is an important site for Reading in terms of biodiversity and forms an integral part of the Kennet and Holy Brook Meadows.
“The listing does not describe the site as a floodplain, and it is currently flooded– it’s protected land because it helps stop flooding over a long period of time, protecting houses in Southcote.
“Water is the most resilient threat posed by the elements– if you stop up the water in one place, it will simply go somewhere else.
“At times of high rain– which is a permanent factor now– you discharge water into fields to alleviate pressure on rivers.”
He explained: “Southcote plays an essential role in helping to absorb floodwater, and local residents were reminded only in January of their importance in helping to divert floodwater away from local homes.”
“Floodplains keep water out of the rivers, and these fields have been highly effective in that for such a long time.
“Any development on that site will have knock-on effects downstream; if anyone builds on them, we are putting not only Southcote but Reading town centre at much higher risk of flooding.
“As the councillor for climate strategy, I know there are many officers who share my concerns: none of the listings describe it as a floodplain.”
He explained that there are other environmental concerns: “There have been new animals discovered in the area, too, and it is the habitat of an unusual species of newt, which is protected.”
Southcote has also been home to a number of rarer plant species, such as crimson clover and bur parsley.”
“I’m pleased the Council’s Consumer Protection team has notified the auctioneer of its legal responsibility to include relevant planning policies in any future marketing literature so that potential buyers are fully aware of the restrictions which are materially relevant to Southcote Farm.”
