THE LEADER of the Liberal Democrats, Cllr Lindsay Ferris said that his enlarged party would fight the housing numbers being forced on the borough by the Government.
In his leader’s speech to the chamber, at the annual council meeting held on Wednesday, May 22, he first thanked residents for voting in the eight new Liberal Democrat councillors in the recent local elections.
“I should like to thank the residents of Wokingham Borough for the confidence in and support shown for the Liberal Democrats during the recent local elections. This is much appreciated,” he said.
“I acknowledge that Brexit had some impact, but residents raised many local issues of concern during the campaign including the threat from the huge number of houses being pushed onto Wokingham Borough and the quality and availability of local services provided by the Council. We will continue to put pressure on the ruling Conservatives on these and other issues.”
On housing numbers, he said: “If we do not fight this over development now, our area will be changed and changed forever. When our green space is gone, it’s gone.
“We must use every means possible to prevent developers destroying the character of the Borough. We believe that there needs to be a significant change in the approach taken by the Council within the Local Plan.
“We must for example prevent developers cutting down trees and destroying hedgerows in an inappropriate manner. The Council should be prepared to take legal action against these and other such developers who act in an inappropriate way destroying our local environment.”
And Cllr Ferris, like Cllr Halsall was also concerned about the climate change threat.
“Our Planet is coming under ever increasing threat from Climate change, and we should be playing our part in tackling it,” he said.
“We also need to look at other environmental issues, like air quality.”
The Liberal Democrats would also focus on council services offered to residents.
“There is no doubt in our mind that the quality of services has suffered in recent years and that the council is stretched,” Cllr Ferris said. “We are concerned about adult social care and regret that the initiative started last year to work cross-party on this issue for the benefit of our residents seems to have floundered.
“The recent Ofsted inspection of the Council’s Special Educational Needs capability was not acceptable.
“The ruling Conservatives have allowed the council’s children’s services area to be decimated over the last two or three years. It has been under-funded and neglected by the Conservatives.”
Cllr Ferris also offered a hand of friendship to Cllr Halsall as he became leader of the council and the Conservatives.
He said: “The new leadership has talked about improved cooperation between the two groups, something I have always been willing to support. The ruling Conservative group has an opportunity now to do this.
“The Lib Dems produced an amendment to the Budget at February’s Council Meeting, within that amendment were two proposals to provide additional funding of £70,000 for the Council’s SEND service to help reduce the number of exclusions in Primary Schools. And also £230,000 for the Children & Adolescent Mental Health service known as CAMS.
“If the Conservative Group are serious about listening to residents and to the opposition they could introduce a supplementary estimate to provide additional resources for these two services at a future Council Executive. I would also hope that the Labour party could support the measures.
“This is we believe a more practical way of working together for the benefit of our residents.”
He concluded: “It is more than just focusing on who is, or who is not on a particular committee/working Group which is what we have heard to date from the new Conservative group leader.”
