The future impact from close top 4,000 new houses at Hall Farm, also known as Loddon Garden Village, the planned development between Arborfield and Shinfield, is proving to be a hot topic on the doorsteps, and on local social media channels.
Ahead of the forthcoming Winnersh by-election on February 6, the Conservative party candidate has organised a public meeting on Saturday to ensure “.. the key facts are understood.”
Nick Kilby told Wokingham Today: “The simple truth is there is still everything to play for.|”
Hall Farm, along with other development options, formed part of an initial consultation for the Local Plan Update that was recently approved by Wokingham Borough Council.
Kilby said: “Conservatives concluded that this development is not viable.
“Since then, the Conservatives have consistently campaigned against the Hall Farm development.
“The Liberal Democrats, led by the ‘placard bearing’ Clive Jones, campaigned on a platform of stopping development at Hall Farm.
“They did this to gain control of the council and the parliamentary seat.
“They did nothing for two years, and then claimed it was impossible to change the plan.
“They said that they had received legal advice telling them that they could not make changes, but council officers confirmed that “.. no written legal advice had been received.”
He added that the Liberal Democrats have since removed houses from the plan elsewhere, despite claiming changes were impossible.
“Officers advised that it was possible to change the plan, subject to a further consultation, but the Liberal Democrats chose to do nothing.
“They kept Hall Farm in the plan, despite their public promises to remove it.
“The Liberal Democrats also claimed that sites could not be removed without developer agreement. This is also incorrect.
“The Liberal Democrats and some Labour councillors voted through the Local Plan in September 2024.
“However, the plan will now be reviewed in detail by lawyers, barristers, planners, and all kinds of specialists at a public hearing.
“All the issues will be examined and questioned.
“The planning inspector has the power to make modifications, add or remove sites, and modify numbers.
“This is an opportunity to challenge the development.
“The Liberal Democrats say that Hall Farm is a ‘done deal,’ and nothing can be done.
“The truth is very different.”
Kilby added the aim of the meeting is to discuss how Hall Farm will affect Winnersh, and to explain what can still be done to oppose this massive new development.
“The Winnersh community needs to pull together to make their views heard.”
In response to the claims, a spokesperson for Wokingham Liberal Democrats told Wokingham Today: “The Conservatives new-found opposition to development at Hall Farm, and their invitation to a Conservative campaign meeting, is a nakedly political and cynical attempt to win votes.
“They have no hope or intention of making anything better for residents.
“They know that the Liberal Democrats reviewed the Conservatives’ plan to develop Hall Farm to see if it could safely be removed from their draft plan.
“After exhaustive technical appraisals, it was clear that Hall Farm remained the most suitable of the available major sites, and the only option that will pass the required external examination of the Local Plan.
“The Conservatives reached the same conclusion when they originally put Hall Farm into the plan.
“Since then, the Lib Dem administration has negotiated with landowners and developers to produce a more acceptable scheme, reducing the number of new dwellings by more than 500 whilst retaining vital infrastructure such as flood protection measures, new schools, community facilities and highways improvements, and improving the number of affordable houses and environmental standards.
“The Lib Dems understand why existing residents may be reluctant to see new development in their vicinity, but we should not forget that many people in our area, including existing residents’ children and grandchildren, need somewhere they can call home.
“We have an obligation to address their needs as well as mitigate the impact of development on others.
“The Conservatives know that significant change to the plan for Hall Farm at this stage would collapse the Local Plan, leading to more speculative development with little local control against the significantly higher targets required by the new government.
“Hall Farm would be developed anyhow, but without the infrastructure that the Local Plan delivers.
“The Local Plan on the table now is the best plan for Wokingham Borough, and voters should not be taken in by the Conservatives’ claims.”
The informal public meeting will take place on Saturday, January 25, at Winnersh Community Centre from 12.30 until 2.00pm
