A PLANNING application to build 24 homes on the old Hurst Show site next to the village hall has just been submitted.
Residents – and anyone else – can tell Wokingham Borough Council (WBC) what they think of the plan until Thursday, March 9. The first submitted comments were objections.
There was surprise for many in the village when they discovered Hurst Village Society had told WBC last year that Willowmead Field, the old Hurst Show site, in School Road, Hurst was suitable for development.
Residents want to know how the village society committee will find out members’ views and represent them if the society comments to the council on the new plan. Some residents said they’d not been asked their opinion when the society commented on other plans.
One resident said: “I, and many other villagers, are really concerned that the HVS is not truly representing the views of its members.
“Last year HVS recommended Willowmead as suitable to develop, contrary to their rules which protect the physical character and rural environment of the village. Now an application has been made on that site, it is more important than ever that HVS uses a robust method to gather the views of their members.
“How can the committee members claim to represent the membership without consultation on these big issues? And if the majority of the membership is against development on the Willowmead site, what will the HVS committee (who supported it) do then?”
They added: “People join HVS believing in its published rules. If the committee is acting against those rules then how representative of its members are the committee on these very important decisions?”
The resident was also concerned about potential for conflict of interest as some committee members had local landowner connections.
In December last year, John Osborne of Hurst Village Society (HVS) said when the society responded to significant planning issues they took full regard of planning policies, material planning considerations, and “what, as a committee, we believe to be the wishes of the majority of our members”.
In light of the planning application, Wokingham Today asked Mr Osborne how the HVS would measure their members’ views on the proposals, perhaps by a ballot or other survey and, if a majority of its members objected, would HVS reflect this in their submission to WBC about the Willowmead plan.
Mr Osborne said: “We work for and represent the Society by having ongoing direct contact with our members and not through a third party such as a local paper who, on this occasion, it is not clear who they are purporting to represent.
“This is a busy time as we finalise a further objection to the revised planning application for 33 homes on the site on Broadcommon Road and other smaller applications and start to put together a submission in relation to the Willowmead Field application, an important part of which will be to gain a greater understanding as to the background and history of the site.”
Mr Osborne was also asked about the society’s quorum needed for decision-making. According to its website, it is half of the committee, or four members, whichever is greater. Nine committee members are named on their website. Their rules say there should be 15.
His statement a month ago included: “The Committee is doing its utmost to constantly work in the best interests of The Society, and therefore hopefully for the benefit of the community as a whole.
“Since March 2020, the membership of the Society has steadily increased to the current number of 250, which would suggest general approval of the way in which the Committee conducts its business on behalf of The Society as a whole and in accordance with any terms of reference and any accepted codes of behaviour.
“Prior to the discussion of any item by the Committee, as would be expected, individual members are asked to disclose any conflict of interest and if any such declaration is made that individual has no further involvement in any discussion or decision in relation to that matter both then and into the future.”
Wokingham Today takes a neutral stance on issues, and aim to report both sides in debates where possible – Editor
