A controversial plan to create a Traveller site near a sewage treatment facility in Reading has failed due to the fears that the site could flood.

Reading Borough Council has been on the search for a dedicated site for Gypsies and travelling communities to stay, in an effort to reduce unauthorised encampments.

However, a project to establish a Traveller site with seven pitches in Island Road, Whitley, has now been scrapped.

The news has been confirmed by the council’s interim assistant director of housing John Knight.

Mr Knight said: “Following extensive work to bring the site to viability the development team completed an appraisal in early 2024 of a potential site for this provision at Island Road, Smallmead.

“Despite planning permission being obtained in 2023, further work to assess the site resulted in the identification of serious obstacles to the project, including robust objections by the Environment Agency (EA) and the certainty of significant cost overruns based on the work needed to address these objections.”

The project received full approval a year ago in March 2023, after councillors on the planning applications committee voted for it in October 2022.

Reading Chronicle: The site of Reading Borough Council's chosen Gypsy and Traveller Site in Island Road highlighted in red. The site of Reading Borough Council's chosen Gypsy and Traveller Site in Island Road highlighted in red.

The EA objected to the scheme as it judged that the development of the site would be incompatible with the flood zone, and called a submitted flood risk assessment and buffer zone  ‘inadequate’.

The rest of Mr Knight’s response states: “Since planning permission would remain in force only until 2033, it was also concluded that even were it possible to appease the EA, a decision was taken at Leadership Group in February not to continue work and withdraw the planning application.

READ MORE: Neighbours announce wish to fight council over controversial Traveller site  

“Officers are now considering a small number of alternative sites which may be able to accommodate a transit site.

“It should be noted that each of these sites scored lower than Island Road when early appraisals of them were carried out in 2019, meaning there are some obstacles already identified with respect to each possible location.”

Reading Chronicle: A suspected unauthorised encampment at the Morrisons car park in Basingstoke Road, Whitley. A suspected unauthorised encampment at the Morrisons car park in Basingstoke Road, Whitley. (Image: James Aldridge, Local Democracy Reporting Service)

The leadership group is made up of unelected officials and lead councillors from the Labour administration.

The withdrawal of the project was revealed in an answer to a question by councillor Rob White (Green, Park), the leader of the opposition.

Reading Chronicle: Reading Green Party councillors (including Rob White and Dave McElroy, furthest to the right) at the beginning of the 2023/24 municipal year.Reading Green Party councillors (including Rob White and Dave McElroy, furthest to the right) at the beginning of the 2023/24 municipal year. (Image: Reading Green Party)

Commenting on the news, cllr Dave McElroy (Green, Redlands) said: “Labour’s preferred site was on a floodplain, nestled between the tip and the sewage works. This is a terrible idea whichever way you look at it, so this outcome is no surprise.

“It has taken the council over two years working through the planning system to get to this point and it is going to take the same again for a new site.

“This is very disappointing.

“Labour attempted to bury this bad news and it’s only through hard work from Green Party councillors as the main opposition party on the council that has brought it to light.

“If residents want hard-working councillors and a strong main opposition party holding the Labour-run council – with its massive majority – to account then they should vote Green at the council elections.”