Town council critical of West Berks’ ‘slap dash’ approach
THATCHAM Town Council has decided to engage with Local Plan consultant Icenci, amid frustrations over lack of communication from the district authority.
West Berkshire’s Local Plan was thrown into disarray after a change in the law meant all major developments were subject to a 30-year vision rather than a 15-year one.
This meant development proposals were put on hold, including a 2,500 home plan for north east Thatcham.
In this time the town council has voiced concern with the rate at which West Berkshire Council is moving, as well as the lack of information that it is receiving on the Local Plan’s progress.
In a planning and highways meeting held on April 5, councillors thanked chairman Simon Pike (Lib Dem, Thatcham West) for drafting a letter to planning consultant Icenci in a bid to better understand the processes.
Thatcham Town Council has said that it is keen to engage with members of the public in obtaining their opinions and visions in the form of consultation.
Councillor Owen Jeffery (Lib Dem, Thatcham Central) said: “I almost cannot get my own mind to grasp just how casually and in what a slap dash way West Berkshire Council is approaching this addition of the population of Hungerford added on to Thatcham.”
“There has to be a point at which West Berkshire Council wake up and starts reacting in a vaguely constructive way.”
He continued: “Not just this particular council, but towards the public of Thatcham to what any kind of development is going to need, how it’s going to be done, producing something of real value to Thatcham, because at this moment everything seems to be on the back of a fag packet.
“There seems to be no informed, thought through, consistent approach.
“There’s absolutely no way that anybody could seriously suggest that the public of Thatcham have been duly informed and then asked for their opinions.”
Council leader David Lister (Lib Dem, Thatcham West) said: “It does seem a shambles doesn’t it, to put it politely.
“Our plan was to host a series of virtual discussions initially, ideally during the early part of April.
“Is that their plan with us and if they do have a plan can they share it with us?”
He added: “So do they have a plan or are they just hoping to wing it and get it by with a vision without visiting the council and meeting the community.
“Do they know what Thatcham’s vision work is?
“I am just absolutely astounded that a £1bn project, which is what this is, is being put together on the back of a couple of consultants.”