Government intervenes over West Berkshire housing plan

The Lib Dem administration had planned to withdraw the West Berkshire's Local Plan

Villages could become "less viable" after plans to scrap a local housing strategy were halted by the government, a council leader has claimed.

West Berkshire Council's Local Plan, outlining planning requirements until 2039, was compiled by the previous Conservative administration.

The incoming Lib Dem administration described it as "flawed" and pledged to withdraw it.

The government said it must be in place to prevent "speculative development".

The Local Plan, which set out what, where and how many homes would be built over the next two decades, had earmarked up to 2,500 homes to be built in Thatcham, and another 100 in Theale.

Leader Lee Dillon said the intervention by central government was "bitterly disappointing".

"Newbury and Thatcham will be more congested," said, adding: "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."

Political opposition groups and residents associations had lobbied the Department for Levelling Up after the council announced its withdrawal plan, costing council tax payers about £1.6m.

In a letter, housing minister Lee Rowley MP said the department would take "further intervention action" if an up-to-date local plan was not in place.

"The Secretary of State's reason for making this direction is to give the people of West Berkshire the best chance of having a sound local plan adopted in the near future, protecting the area in which they live from speculative development," he said.

'Own failures'

In a heated council debate following the government's intervention, Conservative opposition councillors accused the administration of "gambling with the future of the district".

Tory group leader Ross Mackinnon said: "As predicted, the Liberal Democrats have once again found someone else to blame for their own failures.

"But West Berkshire residents won't be fooled. The Local Plan was never flawed, the Liberals knew this, but they promised the residents of Thatcham and Bucklebury that development would be scrapped anyway."

The council said it would take legal advice and consider its response to the letter.

The levelling up secretary of state, Michael Gove, gave a speech to Mansion House on Tuesday, warning that if local councils did not have a local plan in place within three months, the government would take over planning responsibilities.