CAGE Gladman fighting fund appeal

Help Dunsden take on Gladman!

This is a modern take on the story of David taking on Goliath. Except that it’s real and happening now in the tiny parish of Eye & Dunsden.

With just 140-odd houses, this ancient, rural parish has been targeted by mega-developer Gladman which wants to treble its size with 245 or more homes on the boundary with Emmer Green in Reading.

South Oxfordshire District councillors turned down the original planning application mainly on grounds of landscape value. Gladman promptly appealed the decision and there is to be a four-day public inquiry at the beginning of May.

There's a very real fear that if Gladman's appeal is accepted it will open the floodgates to a whole series of damaging housing estates being built between Reading and Sonning Common, Kidmore End and the surrounding villages. Don't let it happen – contribute to the fighting fund today!

Fighting for Eye & Dunsden

Dunsden isn’t just small: it has so few facilities that the inquiry, which should take place in the village hall, will actually be held at Henley’s Rugby Club. Eye & Dunsden has just one church and two pubs but no shop, no school and no children’s playing facilities. The parish council is struggling to cope with the development threat. 

Riding into battle to support Eye and Dunsden under the banner of CAGE (Campaign against Gladman in Eye & Dunsden) are six other local parishes: Binfield Heath, Harpsden, Kidmore End, Rotherfield Peppard, Shiplake and Sonning Common, all of whom fear the effects of setting a precedent on their doorstep. 

Across the county boundary, Emmer Green and Caversham residents are equally determined to keep Gladman away from their communities. Three residents’ associations representing Caversham and District, Caversham Park Village and Emmer Green are fighting alongside CAGE, supported by environmental action group Caversham Globe. Sonning-on-Thames has also registered an objection.

A list of further reasons for opposing this application is on the CAGE website here.

A fighting fund

Fighting an appeal costs money. Expert witnesses, legal advisors and planning experts do not come cheap. But this parish, one of the tiniest in Oxfordshire, wants to give the appeal its best shot – and that means asking local people to help out.

More than four hundred people from all the parishes and villages around objected strongly on-line to this development when it was first proposed.  If each of them were to donate just £25 that would give the embattled parish council the funds it needs to defeat the unwanted incursion.  

Every pound you can give will help Eye & Dunsden and its allies win. And our 21st century David could beat his Gladman Goliath and all the other local communities will be able to breathe again.

See also www.cagedunsden.org and CAGE on Facebook. 

Cheques should be posted and made out to Eye & Dunsden Parish Council, The Glade, Remenham Piece, Remenham Hill, Henley on Thames, RG9 3ET

Click to make a contribution.

• Give however much you want.
• All payments are secure

Thank you!