SITE investigations at the council’s new park and ride in Earley found “significant constraints” regarding the reality of the scheme.

A number of changes will now have to be made to the proposal after a report claimed the existing plans would not be able to be carried out.

Surveys found that a “major gas pipeline” runs across the site where the bus stops and roundabouts were set to be.

As a result of this, an investigation deemed “it would be not viable to move the gas pipeline.”

Planning permission has already been granted for the transport link but remarkably “detailed surveys were not possible on the site until after the grant of planning permission for the park and ride scheme.”

Revisions have therefore been made to the new transport link which will be based on land to the west of Thames Valley Park Drive.

A report produced for the council’s planning committee listed changes to the scheme, including relocating the bus stops away from the roundabout to an area next to the car park, retain the trees to the side of the Reading Waterside Centre and to reduce the number of parking spaces from 277 to 258.

Earley's potential new park and ride is set to come after the Mass Rapid Transit joint plan between Reading Borough Council and Wokingham Borough Council was setback.

The report read: "For clarity, this is a stand alone project from the MRT which can operate with or without the park and ride."

It continued: “The proposal would not result in adverse harm to the character of the area, to residential amenity, or have adverse highways implications”

The council’s planning committee is set to approve the changes at a meeting on Wednesday, October 10.