Councillor 'furious' at missing vital racecourse plan meeting

Both Greenham ward members are unable to attend the meeting to discuss plans for housing at Newbury Racecourse

A DISTRICT councillor has hit out at West Berkshire Council for discussing one of Newbury's largest ever housing applications in the absence of the councillors representing the wards most affected by the development.

Detailed plans for the first phase of the redevelopment of Newbury Racecourse, which include 421 dwellings in the Western Area C - are due to be discussed by councillors on the western area planning committee tomorrow night (Wednesday), having been recommended for approval by council planning officers.

However, the ward members for Greenham, Julian Swift-Hook and Billy Drummond (both Lib Dem) are unable to attend due to pre-arranged family holiday commitments, together with adjacent ward member Roger Hunneman (Lib Dem, Victoria) and Tony Vickers (Lib Dem, Northcroft).

Mr Swift-Hook said he was furious at the decision as council planning officers were aware that several committee members and substitutes, including himself, would be away for the committee meeting when the date for determination was set several weeks ago.

He said that although council planning officers had said it would be wrong to determine such an application in the middle of the summer holidays, they had not taken into account that many people choose to take holiday outside of school holidays.

He said: “The racecourse housing application is the largest single housing application in Newbury for decades.

“There is no pressure on determination, so why the undue haste - why is it so urgent?”

Mr Swift-Hook said he was irritated that ward members had not been consulted on the date for the application to be heard at committee, but had simply been informed of the decision.

He said: “I am pretty annoyed about the whole situation and I am really concerned that as a result of the administrative decisions being made the democratic rights of Greenham's residents are being undermined.

“The majority of the committee come from outside of Newbury and represent wards that won't be affected.

“They will determine the application and how can that be right?”

Mr Swift-Hook said the chairman of the committee, Paul Bryant (Con, Speen), had been lobbied to defer the application, but Mr Bryant said that after consulting with committee members, it was evident they preferred that the application be discussed at the meeting, as scheduled.

However, Mr Bryant said he was happy to accept written submissions from ward members about the application, adding that he would read them out at the meeting.

He said: “The issues [with the application] are well known and I am sure they will be aired by objectors and supporters at the meeting.”

Meanwhile, Mr Bryant said it was the officers' duty to bring forward applications as soon as possible for determination, while the executive member for planning, Alan Law (Con, Basildon) said it would set “a terrible precedent” to defer a meeting based on the absence of certain members.

However, Mr Swift-Hook said that in his opinion, this was “a totally exceptional situation”, given the size and importance of the application.

The application is due to be discussed at the meeting at the council offices in Market Street, Newbury, tomorrow at 6.30pm.