Sir John Redwood MP has accused Wokingham’s Lib Dem run council of “refusing” to work on its local plan, and missing out on the protection it will afford.
Writing on his blog, Sir John said: “Many people in Wokingham feel our area has more than done its bit for new housing development in recent years.
“Surely it is time to slow the rate of new build, let the infrastructure catch up, and allow us to enjoy the woods, fields and green spaces that remain?”
He said he has successfully lobbied the government alongside other MPs.
“The government is dropping the national top-down targets requiring large amounts of new development in places like Wokingham, and the operation of the five-year supply of land rules.
“What the government asks in return is that local planning authorities, including Wokingham Borough, produce an up-to-date local plan making reasonable provision for new homes, and be prepared to defend their case.
“With a proper local plan we are then promised permissions will not be granted on appeal outside the approved plan areas.
“The Council should be getting on with our new local plan to gain that protection.
“Instead the Lib Dem leadership of the Council are refusing to get on with it.
“This will leave us wide open to more development on appeal as developers will be able to use the absence of a plan to justify more building than we would like in places where we do not want it.”
In response, Wokingham Borough Council’s executive member for planning and local plan, Cllr Lindsay Ferris, told Wokingham Today: “I am afraid we do not know what Sir John is talking about.
“We have lobbied the Government for changes to the planning system that would allow past
housing delivery to be taken into account in future decisions, and are hopeful that the government will publish revised national policy soon as they have indicated.
“But to date nothing has been announced or confirmed, so Sir John is either privy to information we don’t have (in which case it would be good if he could share with us as we are the local planning authority) or he is speculating unhelpfully.
“‘Sir John, by pressing for immediate submission of the new local plan, would appear to support the borough taking nearly 2,000 new dwellings more than it needs to, if the government allows us to take into account past over-delivery.
“We think it’s worth waiting for clarity on over-provision rather than proceeding with a number that may prove larger than we are obliged to deliver.”
