Councillor quits Lib Dems over golf course plan

Kashmir Singh previously spoke out against the golf course plan

A councillor has quit his party over a planned housing development on a golf course.

Kashmir Singh confirmed he left the Liberal Democrats’ group, which leads the Royal Borough of Windsor and Maidenhead, and joined Labour on Wednesday.

The Riverside councillor is understood to have blamed his party’s stance on the planned 1,500-home development for Maidenhead Golf Course.

More than 2,000 people have called for the project, which the council has agreed with Cala Homes, to be stopped.

Mr Singh previously said the authority “should not be held hostage” by the contract.

But the council said it is locked into terms, which were agreed by the previous Conservative administration.

It designated the golf course, which the council owns, as a site for housing in a plan in 2022. It signed an agreement with Cala Homes in 2018.

The proposed scheme involves building an estate called the Elizabeth Quarter

Lib Dem councillor Adam Bermange, the council’s cabinet member for planning, governance and asset management, said he had “spent countless hours” trying to find a way out of the contract but that it was “well and truly bound”.

The authority said the site is not designated as “open space” because it was bought by the former Maidenhead District Council’s mayor in 1953 and has always been a private members’ club.

But Mr Singh said the mayor said the course “would be for the exclusive use of the public and future generations of Maidenhead”.

He added: “We should not be held hostage by the previous Conservative administration’s shenanigans.”

Lib Dem council leader Simon Werner said he was “really sad” Mr Singh left the party.

“I thought of him as a potential mayor. I wish him well in his future endeavours,” he said.

Mr Singh's defection means he is Labour's sole councillor on the authority.

The Lib Dems have 21 councillors and nine councillors belong to the Local Independents group.

The authority also has seven Conservative councillors and three independents.