Hearing into the West Berkshires housing plans resumes today (Tuesday)
Tensions have been high at the hearing, which started last Tuesday and was adjourned on Thursday, into West Berkshire Council’s core strategy for housing.
The hearing, pictured, is set to continue today (Tuesday) to discuss transport issues; it was called by the Government-appointed independent inspector Simon Emerson, who wanted to know why the council selected Sandleford as its preferred site for development over other sites in north Newbury and Thatcham.
The hearing is the latest twist in a long running saga which has already seen the council’s plans to build up to 2,000 homes on Sandleford, a site which served as inspiration for Richard Adams’ classic novel Watership Down, hit the national headlines.
During the proceedings, an unlikely alliance was formed between those representing landowners of the north Newbury site between Shaw and Chieveley, local residents, SayNOtoSandleford campaigners and Liberal Democrat councillors with all calling for the inspector to rip up the council’s proposed core strategy, which outlines the council’s plans for 10,500 new homes in the district in the next 14 years.
The council has argued that the process for selecting Sandleford was fair, and that the inspector should find the core strategy sound so the district has an agreed formal planning policy.
Executive councillor for planning and housing, Alan Law (Con, Basildon) has warned that if the core strategy is not found sound by the inspector there will be a planning free for all in West Berkshire.
The majority of developers at the hearing have also argued that the council’s allocation of 10, 500 new homes in the next 14 years is below the required amount.
Potential highway and education impacts caused by any development at Sandleford are expected to be discussed when the hearing resumes at 11am today.
The inspector is expected to make a decision on the soundness of the council’s core strategy this summer.
For more on this story, read this Thursday’s Newbury Weekly News.
