Thatcham Town Council's call for local plan parish advisory group rejected- for now

A development for 2,500 homes for Thatcham is still being considered and the town council is calling for wider engagement with West Berkshire Council.

But the district authority rejected the town council's bid for a parish planning advisory group for discussions on the ongoing Local Plan Review.

The request was dubbed “premature” by West Berkshire Council’s executive member for planning, transport and countryside Richard Somner.

Mr Somner told the town council, in a letter, that the West Berkshire Council planning advisory group has still not completed its consideration of previous consultation (Regulation 18) responses.

The conservative councillor wrote: “Whilst I appreciate that there would be merit increasing engagement with all stakeholders engaged in the local plan process, the suggested approach is likely to set a precedent and increase expectation from other stakeholders.”

Thatcham Town Council planning and highways committee chairman Simon Pike compared this response to the district council's Revised Statement of Community Involvement – a document published in January 2020 outlining how local communities and parties will be involved in the local plan.

The document, in its introduction, states: “Greater involvement by the community, in shaping the way the planning system operates locally, is essential if the decisions we take are to more closely reflect local needs and wishes.”

Mr Pike said: “There appears to be an inconsistency between the response from councillor Somner and the requirements from the statement of community involvement.”

Mr Somner concluded that the request would not be "left to one side" but, at this time, could not be moved forward.

Mr Pike was chosen, by fellow town councillors, to draft a response using the comparisons made.

The full response from Richard Somner, to Thatcham Town Council, can be found on the town council’s website.