Stop Sandleford Petition Handed In (David Rendel)

Stop Sandleford Petition Handed In

July 26, 2011 9:46 AM

Liberal Democrats in West Berkshire have shown that their "STOP SANDLEFORD" petition, launched earlier this year, was not just electioneering. The Petition was formally presented to West Berkshire Council's Executive Committee on Thursday, with 510 signatures - many obtained since the May local elections - by local campaigner Roxana Nash-Williams.

The Lib Dem Spokesman for Planning and Housing on the Council, Dr Tony Vickers, said: "We believe that the choice of Sandleford Park is fundamentally wrong, not just unpopular in South Newbury. And we have good reason to think that the Inspector, whose job it is to test the reasoning behind such a choice, may agree with us. Indeed he's asking the Council to prove that we need more than one strategic site at all. Newbury Racecourse may be enough - especially if we choose to build on more previously development employment land."

Before the Petition was handed in, a Question about Sandleford was asked by another of the STOP SANDLEFORD Lib Dem campaigners, Mr Sam Dibas. In reply, the Council's Portfolio Holder for Planning & Transport Policy, Cllr Alan Law, declared he would not be reviewing the decision to include this site. This is despite that fact that the twobiggest proposed housing sites in the whole of the District are in one parish: Greenham, which will almost treble in population in 15 years, if the Council's proposals are approved.

Dr Vickers himself asked a related Question later in the meeting, addressing the Council's failure to take a flexible approach to allowing housing to be built on so-called Protected Employment Area (PEA) land - such as the former Travis Perkins site in Mill Lane, Newbury. Afterwards he said: "The Inspector, in a Note to the Council, dated 14^th July, entitled 'Sustainability Appraisal and Environmental Assessment', says that 'there is more danger of stifling economic development and the provision of jobs in the short term than fundamentally undermining the overall strategy' of the District. We couldn't agree more.

"In the past, Lib Dems were more flexible in following the same local policy. For example, nearby Windsor Court flats are on the site of the former British Telecom depot."

The Council has to respond by 28^th July to this Inspector's Note, setting out how it proposes to satisfy him that its reasons for choosing Sandleford can be explained in a new Sustainability Appraisal A special session of his Examination in Public 'Hearings' about the Council's Core Strategy is to take place on 31^st August, just to discuss the Council's response - the process and not the substantive reasons for choosing Sandleford. However the Liberal Democrats believe that the Inspector's other recent Notes, including one also dated 14^th July on 'Soundness Issues' indicate that Cllr Law's statement at Thursday's Executive Committee that the Inspector "is happy with Sandleford" may be premature.

"I estimate that we won't know what the Inspector really thinks about our Core Strategy - including the selection of Sandleford - until towards the end of this year," said Dr Vickers.

westberkslibdems@yahoo.com