MP backs campaign against developing Rooks Nest Farm

A CONSERVATIVE MP has thrown his support behind keeping Rooks Nest Farm out of Wokingham Borough Council’s local plan.

James Sunderland, MP for Bracknell, is backing the campaign to oppose development on the farm.

The council’s local plan update sets out proposals for development across the borough until 2038.

They include a housing development of 270 properties on Rooks Nest Farm, off Barkham Ride and adjacent to the bridle path to California Country Park.

Mr Sunderland says it is “frankly wrong” to impose this amount of housing on people locally.

He said: “There is a proposal on the table for 100 acres of beautiful farmland to be converted into 270 houses

“That is all the farmland ripped up and concreted over for development. It must not happen because it affects the quality of life the rest of us have here and we don’t need the additional housing over this beautiful land.”

His support has been welcomed by Finchampstead councillors who have opposed the scheme since it appeared in the draft local plan.

Cllr Charles Margetts, Conservative councillor for Finchampstead North, said: “All four Finchampstead councillors; myself, Cllr Rebecca Margetts, Cllr Simon Weeks and Cllr Daniel Sergeant are pleased that our MP is now pledging his support to our campaign.

“This site is unsustainable, has no footpath or cycling links, minimal public transport and is of a minor road where there have been 60 sets of roadworks in the last two years.

“We all know the pressure from the central government to build more houses, but there are better and more suitable locations than this.”

Peter Harper founded a petition against the development which gained more than 1,000 signatures. He is running as a Conservative candidate for Finchampstead North in the local elections.

He has pledged to vote against the development as part of the local plan.

Mr Harper said a lot of people feel strongly against developing on the farm, which sits on the Barkham side of the ward border.

“It’s a farm,” he said. “It’s country fields. It’s not suitable for a large number of houses.”

“It won’t have any impact on Barkham. In Finchampstead … the whole area is puffing under the strain of development.”

The proposed development has also been criticised by other political parties.

David Cornish, Liberal Democrat candidate for Finchampstead South, said: “The Conservative leaders of the council are supporting the development of Rooks Nest Farm and this has aroused huge local opposition, People really care about this and the council is badly out of touch.

“If Rooks Nest Farm gets built upon then, together with the solar farm next door, it will create one great sprawl of development from Crowthorne through to Arborfield.”

Cllr Rachel Burgess, leader of the Wokingham Labour group, says the plans are “hugely disappointing” given the number of houses in the area already.

She said: “Following the collapse of the Grazeley scheme, I know Finchampstead Parish Council have worked to take their share of the houses that have to be built.

“So it is hugely disappointing the Conservative local plan looks set to put even more houses in this location.

“What is the point of parish councils if Wokingham Borough Council is just going to trample all over well thought out local plans?”

Cllr Burgess also called on the Conservatives to “stand up” for green spaces across the borough.

“In Wokingham, the Conservatives are boasting there will be no more large developments – totally ignoring thousands of houses south of the railway line.

“The only part of the borough that seems to be safe is Remenham, where the leader of the council lives and from where he has been campaigning to protect his patch.”

Consultation on the local plan update closed on Monday, January 24, and feedback is being reviewed by the council.

Where possible, thiswill be incorporated into a revised proposal which is expected to go to full council this summer for a second public consultation in the autumn.

This will then go to a planning inspector, along with comments from that consultation, for independent examination.

The examination is expected to take place early next year.