COUNCILLORS at Wokingham Borough Council (WBC) dramatically voted to REFUSE plans for the highly controversial Mass Rapid Transit link on Monday evening.

The £20 million pound transport scheme was approved by joint applicant Reading Borough Council last month and Wokingham Borough Council’s Planning Committee met to discuss officer Graham Vaughan’s recommendation to approve.

Had the application been approved, a ‘high express’ concrete bridge would have been installed between Thames Valley Business Park and Napier Road, designed exclusively as a route for public transport and cyclists.

But councillors Carl Doran and Wayne Smith led a rebellion as members voted down the application five votes to four.

Cllr Smith said: “I can't see how this is going to work. It's going to cost a lot of money and taxpayers in Reading and Wokingham are going to have to pay for this.

“As it stands, we've been lumbered into something from Reading (Borough Council) here.”

However Cllr Angus Ross had earlier said: “If this was approved it would be a real benefit (for public transport).

“We're going to have some impact to have this benefit. I feel on balance this is a scheme which should be supported."

Before the vote, residents, non-committee members and Cllr Bill Luck from Earley Town Council had spoken of their fears about the project, whereas Scott Witchalls, acting on behalf of a sponsoring agent, had spoken in favour of the plans.

The main concerns were the removal of 700 trees across the two boroughs, disruption to the local environment, increasing traffic concerns and the design of the construction.

Officer Graham Jones had said that the environmental harm of the scheme would be mitigated and that the economic and social benefits ‘outweighed’ the ‘irrevocable change’ to the area.

Councillors debated the issues for over an hour at the meeting of the Planning Committee on Monday evening before Chairman Tim Holton called the vote.

Protesters had campaigned outside Reading Borough Council’s offices in May when the authority approved their planning application, but this time they were in good spirits as jubilant residents congregated outside to celebrate the decision afterwards.

Cllr Andy Croy, the representative for Bulmershere and Whitegates, told the News: “I’m happy, I’m delighted.

“It is a good result for the people of Bulmershere and Whitegates and I think it’s a good result for the people of Wokingham Borough as a whole.

“I was not surprised by the result because as the meeting went on it became obvious members had very severe reservations.”

It is yet to be decided whether an appeal against the decision will be made by the applicants