Theresa May’s concerns over Wokingham housing numbers

THERESA MAY has expressed her concerns over the number of houses being built in the borough and called for more affordable housing.

The Maidenhead MP made the comments after meeting with the leader of Wokingham’s Conservatives.

It comes after the new leader of Wokingham Borough Council, Cllr Clive Jones, met with Wokingham MP Sir John Redwood over the issue last week, and days after Sir John raised the House of Commons.

In his speech, Sir John said: “In Wokingham, there are thousands of permissions outstanding to build new homes, and thousands of new homes have been built in recent years.

“We do not need or want Government inspectors determining in favour of yet more homes on greenfield sites that are outside our local plan area.”

He also said that it was a “disgrace” that the planning system is abused “by some large development companies and rich landowners, who manage to game the system to get extra permissions and make money out of the granting of the permission while houses go unbuilt”.

Communities, he added, should have more influence over how housing need is calculated, and more infrastructure is need.

“Planners must understand that we cannot suddenly conjure up new broadband, sufficient water supply, enough cable to take the extra electricity that is required, the extra road space needed for all the extra cars, or the extra primary schools and surgeries that will be needed to cater for people,” he said.

In a speech last week, prime minister Boris Johnson pointed out that home ownership is concentrated on the over 65s, while just 31% of millennials own their own home, and expressed a view that more homes were needed.

“(Levelling up secretary) Michael Gove has been developing plans to work hand in hand with local communities across England to build more of the right homes in the right places,” he said.

“We are going to put more publicly owned brownfield land to use and seek to unlock small sites that are ideal for the kind of unobtrusive development that communities welcome, with priority for first-time buyers and key workers.”

He continued: “We will sensitively make use of existing planning rights, for example by making it easier to turn disused agricultural buildings into homes for local first-time buyers, and to support farmers in growing and diversifying their businesses.”

A review of the mortgage industry was also promised with a view to reporting back in the autumn.

His immediate predecessor, Mrs May, said: “Many of my constituents have expressed concerns about developers building too many houses in the wrong places.

“Wokingham Borough needs a housing target that is sustainable, and we need more affordable homes with the right infrastructure.”

The previous Conservativerun administration had been working on a new local plan update, which would set out the borough’s housing plans up to 2036. This included proposals to build homes in Hall Farm on the Shinfield/Arborfield border, as well as at Rooks Nest in Finchampstead. There was also concerns that Pinewood Leisure Centre would be a target, although this was strongly denied by the Conservatives.

The new Lib Dem-run administration is now tasked with compiling a new local plan, something that Mrs May, whose constituency includes the northern parishes of Wokingham borough, picked up on.

“It’s vitally important that the council moves quickly to produce a Local Plan if we are to avoid developers exploiting the system. I look forward to meeting with council leader Clive Jones to discuss this,” she said. “I also look forward to working with Cllr Jorgensen and the rest of the Conservative group on this important issue.”

Cllr Jorgensen said she was grateful that Mrs May met with her and felt that Wokingham borough’s housing numbers needed to be reduced.

“She spoke at length about the efforts of the previous Conservative Leader to halve that number,” she said.

“I agree with her completely that the Lib Dem-led coalition must now get on with producing a new draft of the Local Plan.

“Failing to do so will mean that developers can run rampant across the borough, with no ability to control where new homes are built.”

Cllr Clive Jones said while he had written to Michael Gove shortly after becoming leader, he had yet to receive an acknowledgement from him.

“The first thing I did as leader was write to him. It is disrespectful to the residents of Wokingham not to respond,” he said.

Meetings have been set up between the council and the other three MPs over the coming weeks. This comes after a meeting Cllr Jones had with south east council leaders last week.

“We spoke with a director from Michael Gove’s department. It did not fill me with confidence.”