As I sit here listening to the hum of the traffic passing along Mole Road I see an article in the Reading Chronicle: https://www.readingchronicle.co.uk/news/19739088.pollution-concern---reading-traffic-back-pre-covid-levels/?ref=ebln
The article puts me in mind of a cartoon I did for one of the Neighbourhood Plan Open days, which I reproduce below. But in all seriousness, this situation is not a joke. Traffic pollution kills people: https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/science-environment-55352247 "For the first time in the UK - and possibly the world - air pollution has been recognised as a cause of a person's death".
The B3030 Mole Road is one of the boundary roads for the euphemistically named "Loddon Valley Garden Village" (Sounds great doesn't it? I almost wish I lived there, NOT!)
This road is already dangerous as it has no footpaths and no street lighting for most of its length. It is narrow, winding, has lots of little dips and hills, and had a speed limit of 50MPH (which, incidentally is widely ignored). Don't even get me started on the number of large trucks and lorries already using it. Now for a little extra frisson of danger add in the huge number of cyclists and horse riders, and the occasional, very brave, pedestrians, and what have you got? In a recent planning application for an Equestrian Centre at Newland the dangerousness of this road was cited as one of the reasons for rejecting the application.
The road has mature trees and hedges along both sides, as well as drainage ditches. It cannot be widened without massive destruction of our natural heritage. Yet Wokingham Borough Council, along with cash strapped Reading University want to put 4,500 houses right next to it. Shall we say another 9,000 cars? What about the 1,000s of construction lorries while they build this vast housing estate? This is from people who want to be Net Carbon Zero by 2030? It's enough to make me choke!
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