ANDY Croy, Leader of the Labour Group on Wokingham Borough Council said: “The plan will come as a devastating blow to Shinfield residents and the Parish council. They have been thrown under a bus by the Tories.
“In 2016 Shinfield residents voted for a Shinfield Plan which residents believed would allow them to take back control in the face of runaway local development.
“Instead the Tories have dumped Bracknell-on-Loddon on them. The roads in Shinfield are choc-a-bloc as it is. As ever, the infrastructure will lag behind the new houses. We have seen this over and over again in Wokingham.
“Houses first, then the roads and people are sick of it.
“As it is, people cannot get appointments for GPs and schools struggle to recruit staff – and we are expected to believe these vital local services will not be put under even more strain. It is a fantasy. The rest of the borough has not been protected by this plan.
“Landowners will still want to sell their land for housing. Developers will want to build and they will still have deeper pockets than Wokingham Borough Council when it comes to fighting appeals. There will still be appeals – there will just be more of them.
He added: “I can see why the Leader of the Council is happy. His own patch has been protected so he has done good by his own residents. He should be weeping for residents in Shinfield and Grazeley and on his hands and knees begging forgiveness at what his Party is doing.”
