Thatcham councillors clash over housing site
Differing views on Lower Way field expressed
TOWN councillors’ opposing opinions about development on Thatcham’s Lower Way field were aired ahead of a crucial West Berkshire Council meeting on preferred housing sites.
Thatcham Town Council voted to object to the site being included in West Berkshire’s Development Plan Document (DPD) last year, saying that it should be withdrawn as the assessment for development was not sound.
But at the meeting last week Dominic Boeck (Con, Thatcham South and Crookham) said he fully supported the DPD and proposed that the town council accept the document. However, Mike Cole (Lib Dem, Thatcham North) proposed that the town council’s objection to the Lower Way field remain in the document. The motion was passed.
Councillors heard that more than the 900 or so homes that had to be built in the town by 2026 had either been built or had planning permission.
Speaking after the meeting Mr Cole said that the field was “an insane site” to build on, because of its proximity to the nature reserve, flooding in the area and the aesthetic effect.
“Thatcham needs facilities to catch up with the housing it has taken over the last 20 years before we take any more housing,” he said.
Mr Boeck said that the district would be open to a “planning free-for-all” from developers if it didn’t have a DPD. When asked about Lower Way’s inclusion, he said that the field being in the DPD would offer it greater protection from developers.
“If there’s a planning application on Lower Way then it must be compliant with guidelines in the DPD. They’re quite rigorous guidelines that address most of the concerns of our residents,” he said.
“If we don’t include Lower Way we would have to find somewhere else to provide that number of homes, and the options are Siege Cross and Tull Way, neither of which are popular.”
When asked about Thatcham’s home target being exceeded, Mr Boeck said there had only been piecemeal development since the Kennet Heath estate and that homes would be needed to help meet the target of 665 that had to be built each year until 2036.
He said that Conservative district councillors for Thatcham West, Steve Ardargh-Walter and Nick Goodes, would “rigorously challenge” any planning application for the field.
Stop Lower Way Field Development campaigners held a meeting to update residents of the situation last Thursday.
Brian Ruddock, who is calling for public rights of way to be established in the field, said that if it was still included they would continue to object.
