‘We are opposed to the loss of every blade of grass’

WOKINGHAM would not be facing the bulldozers’ gaze if the leader of the borough council had his way.

At the start of an executive meeting, Cllr John Halsall said: “I want to make it clear that all this administration, my party and I are completely opposed to the loss of every blade of grass, tree, shrub, field or greenspace in the Borough. Once it’s gone it’s gone forever.”

He reminded those attending the meeting that the consultation of residents in 2019 revealed that residents also agreed that housing numbers were too high.

However, Cllr Halsall said, the current Draft Local Plan update was essential as Wokingham borough was not “an independent island” and had to obey government mandates on housing numbers, with all political parties committed to building more homes.

“The current government objectives are amongst the lowest of the three national parties,” he said.

Saying no to housing would leave Wokingham borough open to speculative development.

“There is not a square inch of the Borough which has not been optioned by a developer who would seek to exercise that option by claiming we have no plan or five-year land supply,” he said.

“The developer would be successful. I have no doubt that we would be faced with housing numbers several times those currently mandated.”

The first round of consultation on this stage of the local plan update closed on Monday, January 24, and Cllr Halsall said there had been a “good level of response” from residents, including councillors.

“I was delighted to see many of my colleagues making strong representations for their wards,” he continued. “It was disappointing that other councillors confined themselves to making futile political points about the housing numbers.”

And Cllr Halsall also reminded residents of the success of his campaign to lower housing numbers.

As he became leader, the council was looking at having to build 1,635 homes a year, but through lobbying – and a threat to walk down Whitehall naked – the government relented and reduced this to 789.

“I will continue to press Government to make more changes and encourage our MPs who are all critical of the housing numbers and planning policies to join me in so doing,” he said.