West Berkshire Council not “promoting” any Thatcham sites in Local Plan finds Freedom of Information request

The West Berkshire Local Plan, which will determine the future of housing developments in Thatcham, has been a source of controversy and concern in the town.

Since a development plan for 2,500 homes in north east Thatcham was allocated as the preferred development, residents and town councillors have questioned its viability.

A recent full council meeting held on January 31 saw members of the public come forward with their concerns.

One Bucklebury resident asked West Berkshire Council planning and transport manager Bryan Lyttle whether planning consultations will be funded by developers.

He said: “Last time the council went out to consultation or used independent consultants ie. David Locke [Associates], the funding for that was received in £100,000 by the developers.

“Can you explain if any further consultants, that are going to be used, are going to be funded for by developers; and will it be made clear that the David Locke report was funded for by the developers?”

Mr Lyttle responded: “We have already provided you with those answers in public, and those are on the council website.

“At this moment in time there are no other studies being funded by any developers, large or small.”

These “public answers” refer to a recent Freedom of Information request to West Berkshire Council, in October last year, regarding the Local Plan and relevant housing developments in Thatcham.

Bucklebury resident Steven Beeson put forward 31 questions, highlighting multiple concerns from payments from developers to the consideration of other development sites for the Local Plan, to which the local authority claimed that it is not operating under any “undue influence", nor is it “promoting” any sites.

In his questions, he asked the council if it was "normal" to accept payment from developers to promote their sites in creating documentation and plans used by the council.

However the council, which responded on November 29, said that "developers have not previously funded independent evidence documents" but there were "increasing examples" of this happening elsewhere.

It stressed that there was no “undue influence” between the developers and consultants, who did not meet, "at any time" without council officers present.

Mr Beeson also questioned the reasons why two particular West Berkshire Council employees appeared to be “so predisposed” to the allocation of the Thatcham NE development.

The authority said that they have not declared any interest and that support was “solely based on evidence”.

The full 31 questions can be found on West Berkshire Council's website.