Council to decide next steps in June after Local Plan approved by Government

West Berkshire Council has received the planning inspector’s report on the Local Plan Review (LPR) 2022-2039.

The report by the independent planning inspector says the plan is sound and legally compliant and can be adopted.

The LPR sets out the vision and objectives on how West Berkshire could develop over the next 15 years – from the location of new homes to protecting countryside, guiding sustainable growth, and supporting local services and infrastructure.

Dozens of parish councils, local organisations and developers took part.

The LPR was submitted to the secretary of state on March 31, 2023. The Liberal Democrats now in power on the council had maintained it was flawed.

Planning inspector William Fieldhouse was appointed to examine the soundness of the plan.

The matter has thrown the ruling Lib Dem party in to a political spin, as it is in a position where it has to adopt the plan, put in place by the previous Conservative administration.

It means, in the words of one councillor, that somewhere the size of Hungerford will now be attached to Thatcham.

Owen Jeffery’s (Lib Dem, Thatcham, Colthrop and Cookham) comments saw the Lib Dem authority climb down from binning the plan last year, which will see up to 2,500 homes built in Thatcham, and another 100 in Theale.

The Government had threatened to take over planning control.

These plans set out what, where and how many homes will be built until 2039.

So the Lib Dems had to fall on their sword. But they went down fighting.

“The main towns will take the brunt of the development,” said Lee Dillon, council leader at the time.

“Newbury and Thatcham will be more congested. Villages less viable. More second homes will force local people out.

“Towns should see managed growth and villages should flourish. But that is now lost.”

The move to withdraw the plan was brought about as the Lib Dems said the previous Tory administration had “rushed through” the “flawed” plan ahead of the local council elections they “knew they were going to lose” and saw some heated political mud slinging.

The Tories said the move to withdraw the plan was done to tick off a manifesto pledge made by the Lib Dems at the local elections – in the full knowledge that it would not go through, allowing them to ‘blame the Government’ for its failing.

West Berkshire Council will meet on Tuesday, June 10, to consider the inspector’s recommendations and decide whether to formally adopt the plan as part of the Development Plan for West Berkshire.