‘Over the moon’ with inspector’s report

I was surprised to read in this week’s edition (April 1) that according to Councillor Lynne Jones we are disappointed by the letter from the Inspector following the second examination in public last year for the Borough Local Plan.

I understand that for the majority of councillors they are unlikely to see a new Borough Local Plan in their career but let me reassure readers of your paper that I as lead member am over the moon with the response.

Frankly it is far better than we expected.

You and your readers will be well aware of the number of sites that have proved controversial and where there was a large number of well-considered challenges.

Not one of those sites has been rejected by the Inspector, whether it be the golf course, the Triangle site or the site to the west of Windsor.

In fact, she has added back some sites that we proposed taking out.

There is still some way to go.

We have to prepare the major modifications and we will go out again for consultation before submitting the final plan, but we are now at the tidying up stage.

Furthermore, the fact that the Inspector has not asked for major modifications of key sites means that at any appeal in the future the Inspector’s decision will carry significant weight even though the plan may not yet have passed through council and been adopted.

Cllr DAVID COPPINGER Lead member for Planning Environmental

Services and Maidenhead