A SLICE of parkland is to be turned into a controversial new road after a compulsory purchase order of the green space was agreed.
Numerous delays, including West Berkshire Council officers embarrassingly stating the wrong measurement in reports, has seen the road plans shelved for at least three months.
The “schoolboy error” was picked up by members just hours before a full council meeting on July 2, as they noticed officers had confused square metres with square yards.
In its report, it stated that the land was 229 square metres when it meant yards. 229 square metres is 273.88 square yards, which significantly exceeds the 250 square yards limit. But when the mistake was realised it became clear that the size of the land fell within the legal requirements of exercising compulsory purchase powers.
The actual area of land is 206 square metres, which is still less than 250 square yards.
On Monday night, district councillors voted to use their compulsory purchasing powers to buy private land for the new junction to be built from the A339 onto Fleming Road in Newbury.
Councillor Billy Drummond and Councillor Lee Dillon voted against using a compulsory purchase order.
Cllr Drummond said: “I cannot support the compulsory purchase order. Pollution levels down by the Burger King roundabout and Robin Hood roundabout are already at an extreme level and the council has not done much about those levels. The new road will only increase pollution levels which pedestrians, cyclists and home owners will have to live with.”
Councillor Tim Metcalfe abstained from voting, raising concerns that the new access road could lead to drivers using the industrial estate as a rat run.
The council agreed that a compulsory purchase order of the land was necessary as a “successful negotiated purchase agreement could not be reached despite numerous attempts to engage over the last eight months.”
The report read: “Without the council’s involvement to acquire the necessary land, the new junction will not be built, which will prevent the unlocking of the redevelopment of the London Road Industrial Estate.”
Now that the Compulsory Purchase Order has been approved, the council will demolish unit 7 and part of unit 6 on Fleming Road, as well as areas of external carparking and hardstanding outside units 4,5 and 6.
Land also from Victoria Park, adjacent to the A339, will be purchased using a Compulsory Purchase Order from Newbury Town Council.
The traffic light-controlled junction, which will be located approximately 230 metres south of the Robin Hood, was approved by West Berkshire Council in February.
It will include the widening of the northbound carriageway to make way for a dedicated right-hand-turn lane into the estate’s Fleming Road, and a signal controlled pedestrian and cycle crossing to link the estate with Victoria Park, and construction is expected to begin by the end of the year.
Traffic modelling conducted on behalf of West Berkshire Council last year showed that the access road could reduce traffic at the Robin Hood by 15 per cent in the morning rush hour, and 23 per cent in the evening.
Before the vote was held, Councillors Jeff Beck, Lynne Doherty, Jeanette Clifford, Adrian Edwards, James Fredrickson, and Dave Goff left the meeting, as they all sit on Newbury Town Council.    
Sarah Clarke, a solicitor, said: “Legal advice was issued to all members of West Berkshire district council who are also members of Newbury town council because they have a personal interest in the agenda item 4 [A339/Fleming Road compulsory purchase order] because it will effect interests of Newbury Town Council.”