Wokingham Lib Dems call for talks with Government to secure new settlement at Arborfield Garrison to take big chunk of Housing Allocation (Wokingham Liberal Democrats)

Wokingham Liberal Democrats <info@wokinghamlibdems.org.uk>

Wokingham Lib Dems call for talks with Government to secure new settlement at Arborfield Garrison to take big chunk of Housing Allocation

September 28, 2007 12:00 PM

At last night's Wokingham Borough Council meeting at Shute End, the Liberal Democrats urged the Tories to support their call for an approach to the Government for the early release of land at Arborfield Garrison for a new settlement. This follows the recent announcement by Government that Wokingham Borough is expected to take 623 extra houses a year for the next 20 years instead of the 523 originally proposed.

Unfortunately, the Conservatives refused to support the Liberal Democrats.

Councillor Stephen Conway (Lib Dem spokesperson on planning, and councillor for Twyford ward) said, "The Conservatives appeared to be divided on this issue: some clearly did not favour a new settlement at all, while others seemed to agree to the concept but wanted to delay making a decision. We wanted the Tories to agree to talk with the Government because we believe that a new settlement based on Arborfield Garrison would take development pressure off the rest of the Borough."

"The Ministry of Defence has indicated that the Garrison site will become available. The majority of people in the Borough say that they would prefer a new settlement. They're fed up with all the infill and backland development in their towns and villages.

"Recently the Prime Minister said that Ministry of Defence land would be made available to help councils meet the Government's housing targets. We believe that this opportunity should be seized, or the Borough will be faced with yet more infill and backland development in our existing towns and villages."

NOTE: Arborfield Garrison is in Barkham, not Arborfield.