LDF Housing Site Threat

[amacro]

The Theale and Pincents Hill housing sites have been removed from the West Berks Local Development Framework!

The LDF Core Strategy to be considered by West Berks Council on January 21st will not include the Theale or Pincents Hill sites that were in the consultation document. An additional site in Newbury will be submitted instead. Although the final decision will be made at the council meeting, its is virtually certain that it will be approved.

This is good news for Theale and thanks are due to all residents who made their views known. However, the battle is not yet over. The LDF has to be approved by a government inspector and it is certain that the developers will be making objections to him. Also, there will still be a requirement to build 500 homes in the Theale/Pangbourne/Purley/Tilehust area, although homes built or given planning permission since 2006 will count towards this.

The Pincents Hill Developers are continuing with their planning application, which is due to be heard at a special Eastern Area Planning Committee meeting at Little Heath School on 24th February 2010 at 6:30pm.

Alan Macro
Councillor for Theale

[Andy L]

Good news Alan, thanks for letting us know.

[amacro]

The Local Development Framework Core Strategy was approved by West Berkshire Council last Thursday (21st Jan). The previously proposed site for 450 homes at the east end of Theale was NOT included in the strategy, as previously posted. There is also a statement in the strategy that "Theale will need to undergo a period of consolidation without strategic scale development" following the construction of the Lakeside development of 350 homes.

However, the document will now go out for consultation and then the finalised strategy will have to be approved by a government inspector. We can be sure that the owners of the land involved will make representations to both the consultation and the inspector. As a result, there is a possibility that the Theale site could get put back in.

[Andy L]

Again, thanks for the update.