In accordance with Section 100B (4)(b) of the Local Government Act 1972, the Chair had agreed that this item be considered as a matter of urgency, on the grounds that there were serious repercussions for the developer should the naming of the streets be further delayed to the December Planning Applications Committee.

Further to Minute 40 of the previous meeting, the Committee considered a report which explained that at the 4 October 2023 meeting it had been decided that Councillors would be invited to make alternative nominations to the list presented at that meeting for the naming of streets at the former Reading Golf Course site located at Emmer Green, off Kidmore End Road, for officers to check these for acceptability. The final selected names, following consultation with the Chair and Vice-Chair of the Committee, the Lead Councillors for Planning & Assets and for Climate Strategy & Transport and Ward Councillors, would then come back to the Committee to be agreed.

A plan of the site detailing the road layout was attached in Appendix 1. Nine names were needed for streets in the development. Three names had been agreed at the previous meeting (The Fairway, Fox Crescent and Barnes Road) and six additional names were required.  The list of nominations received from Councillors was attached at Appendix 2, with 11 names in the first half of the list (A) which had been checked and met the recommended guidance in the GeoPlace Data Entry Conventions and Best Practice for Addresses.  The eight names in the second half (B) were names that did not meet the guidance, mostly for duplicating street names found elsewhere in the Borough. 

In order to meet the Service Level Agreement arrangements with the developer, the report sought agreement that the approval of the final names should be delegated to the Assistant Director of Planning, Transport and Public Protection Services, in consultation with the Chair and Vice-Chair of the Committee, the Lead Councillor for Planning & Assets and the Lead Councillor for Climate Strategy & Transport and Ward Councillors, without the need to come back to the Committee.

Resolved –

That the Assistant Director of Planning, Transport and Public Protection Services, in consultation with the Chair and Vice-Chair of the Committee, the Lead Councillor for Planning & Assets and the Lead Councillor for Climate Strategy & Transport and Ward Councillors, be authorised to approve six further new names in addition to the three street names agreed at the Committee meeting on 4 October 2023 for the former Reading Golf Course site, without the need to come back to the Committee.