The second phase of the Winnersh Relief Road is set to go ahead despite concerns from councillors about the design of the plans.

Wokingham Borough Council was forced to make changes to its original plans in September after the authority received almost 100 comments on the proposals.

But revisions to the scheme, which aims to ease traffic congestion in Winnersh, were approved at a meeting of the council’s planning committee on Wednesday, October 10.

Ward member for Winnersh Philip Houldsworth said: “I presumed members were going to oppose this.

“Some residents will be inconvenienced but many will welcome this and the ease of access it gives to roads in the borough.”

Changes to the plans include moving one of the two new roundabouts on Reading Road further away from residential properties, changes to pedestrian crossings, a new right turn lane into Sadlers Lane and a modification to the positioning of a traffic island opposite Green Lane.

A letter sent to the council prior to the meeting claimed there would be a “detrimental impact” on cyclists should the plans go ahead.

However, Paul Fishwick, Vice Chairman on Winnersh Parish Council, told the committee that five pages worth of comments had been reduced to “just one” as the changes made largely satisfied the councillor.

Two residents living on Reading Road also spoke at the meeting, as both were concerned about the proximity of the roundabout to their properties.

One claimed the new relief road will have an “adverse effect” on traffic.

Councillor Angus Ross echoed this issue, as he said: “King Street Lane I am getting increasingly concerned about.

“It will be a worse situation approaching these traffic lights.”

“The aim of this (project) is to relieve Winnersh crossroads.

“I’ve just got this vision that we are creating a new cross road at King Street Lane.”

Councillor Prue Bray, who is also a ward member for the affected area, acknowledged issues with the scheme but agreed to advocate its approval.

She said: “I will support the application reluctantly because I know there will be some losers out of it… this is going to be a big issue for our ward and we need to manage it appropriately.

“We need this road more than the problems it is going to bring.”

Councillor Wayne Smith voted to approve the application but before that he said: “What we’ve got here isn’t quite 100%.

“If we keep the parish councillors and ward councillors engaged, it might go smoothly.

“Communication, communication, communication as we move forward.”

All councillors present except one chose to approve the application, with just councillor Ross opting to abstain.

A representative for Wokingham Borough Council’s highways team said construction on the second phase of the relief road should begin in autumn 2019.

The council also passed through revisions to a park-and-ride scheme which has already received prior approval.

Investigations at the site in Earley found “significant constraints” regarding the reality of the scheme as a major gas pipeline was found to be running underneath the area.

Therefore changes were proposed to the site including relocating the bus stops away from the roundabout to an area next to the car park, retaining the trees to the side of the Reading Waterside Centre and to reduce the number of parking spaces from 277 to 258.

A report produced for the council distanced the project from the controversial mass rapid transit scheme which was rejected by Wokingham Borough Council’s planning committee in June.

But councillor Carl Doran said: “Really, it (the scheme) standing alone without the MRT makes it quite a silly thing to have.”

Councillor Bill Soane asked what came first from the MRT or this park and ride scheme and a highways officer responded that park and ride projects had always been part of the council’s long term strategy.

Almost all the committee’s councillors voted to approve the changes to the scheme, with Cllr Doran choosing to vote against.