Wokingham Lib Dems maintain their opposition to the Tory Core Strategy (Wokingham Liberal Democrats)

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

Wokingham Lib Dems maintain their opposition to the Tory Core Strategy

August 1, 2008 12:00 PM

Rotten to the Core?

At last night's Wokingham Borough Council meeting at Shute End, Wokingham Liberal Democrats continued their opposition to the Core Strategy. The Strategy defines four major sites in Wokingham Borough for new house building together with the number of houses proposed for them.

Councillor Prue Bray (Leader of the Lib Dem Councillor Group and Councillor for Winnersh ward) said, "Our main objection to the Core Strategy is that the figures for houses on each major site have been decided on a blanket formula, and have not taken account of the different characteristics of the sites. Much more work needs to be done to calculate the best spread of house building across these sites.

"The Tories voted for the Core Strategy at the June Council meeting, so we are now stuck with their house numbers.

"At last night's council meeting we were asked to agree "concept statements" for the sites, which show the boundaries of the proposed housing estates together with the number of houses to be built on each. As the Lib Dems are opposed to the spread of housing in the Core Strategy, we could not support the concept statements.

"This is only the beginning of the process of producing the Core Strategy. We have offered to work with the Tories to get the Core Strategy right, and Tory Councillor, Gary Cowan (Executive member for Local & Regional Planning), said he would be involving the Lib Dems in the work."