The consequences of delays in Wokingham borough council’s adoption of its local plan were highlighted at a recent full council meeting.
Cllr Rachelle Shepherd-Dubey asked Cllr Stephen Conway, the executive councillor for housing, partnerships and the local plan: “Would he tell us what he sees as the consequences of not adopting the new local plan, currently with the inspectors for examination?
Cllr Conway said: “The answer, in a nutshell, is prolonged exposure to speculative development over which we would have little, if any, control.
“If the new local plan were rejected, we would immediately have to accommodate the higher numbers – more than 1,300 new dwellings a year, rather than the 748 per year that the submitted plan accommodates.
“The whole borough would be exposed during the period of formulating a replacement plan – about three years at least – to development anarchy, with virtually no ability to manage where development occurred.
“Before I allow us to lapse into undue alarm and despondency, let me say that the local Pplan now at examination has been through the most rigorous process of professional assessment, and was developed by planning officers working under two different political administrations.
“The draft plan, which identified almost all the sites in the final version, including Hall Farm, was approved by the previous Conservative administration, and the submitted version, which adds important new policies on affordable housing and energy-efficient new homes,
“The submitted plan complies with national policy, and I see no reason to believe that it will be rejected by the inspectors at examination.”
Cllr Shepherd-Dubey said: “In view of what you said, would you view it as irresponsible for councillors to seek to sabotage the progress of the new local plan at the inspector’s examination?”
Cllr Conway said: “I think in light of what I have just said, I think it would be extremely unwise, and I think one needs to be aware of those consequences that could happen to the whole borough.
“So, I would have said that it was unwise in the extreme to try and derail the local plan as it makes its progress through examination.”
