Councillors to discuss LDF changes
West Berkshire councillors will meet tonight (Monday) to discuss proposed focused changes to the core strategy
WEST Berkshire councillors will meet tonight (Monday) to give their seal of approval to proposed focused changes to the core strategy of the Local Development Framework.
The strategy, which outlines proposed sites for where up to 10,500 homes could be built in West Berkshire by 2026, including up to 1,500 at Newbury Racecourse and about 1,000 homes at Sandleford Park, also contains the framework for planning policies in that period.
Following an eight-day examination into the core strategy in November, the council and the planning inspector agreed to suspend the examination to enable the council to consider the matters that were discussed.
And now, following consideration of the various matters that arose from the examination, including the inspector's requests for the council to justify the overall housing provision figure of 10,500 in more detail and to clarify the strategic housing land availability assessments to show which sites were developable, the council has proposed a number of focused changes to the wording and detail of parts of the strategy.
Another of the proposed focused changes incorporates consideration of development around the Atomic Weapons Establishment sites at Aldermaston and Burghfield, with respect to the Health and Safety Executive's and Nuclear Installations Inspectorate (NII) concerns over how quickly the area could be evacuated if more housing is built in the event of a nuclear incident.
A recent planning inquiry into plans for 115 homes in Tadley, near to the Aldermaston site, raised this issue and a report is due to be presented by mid-March to the Secretary of State before a final decision is made on the plans, while the council has said a response from the NII reveals the proposed development in their core strategy would be acceptable.
Meanwhile, a number of minor changes on other issues have also been proposed by West Berkshire Council.
The full council is due to meet at a special meeting tonight to endorse the proposed changes and subject to their approval, the changes will be published for a six-week public consultation period from Friday (February 4), during which time members of the public are invited to make comments on the changes to the strategy, which will then feed in to the council's response to the inspector.
The examination is due to resume in May.
