Wokingham Borough Council is pleased to learn that the Government Planning Inspector has reinforced its own decision to refuse a planning application by dismissing the applicant’s appeal for two houses in Plough Lane, Wokingham.
Although only a small development the site is within the North Wokingham Strategic Development Location (SDL) which has been earmarked for comprehensive development in the council’s adopted core strategy.
The core strategy requires a co-ordinated approach in each SDL to deliver infrastructure, facilities and services. The council has always made it clear that it’s willing to work closely with developers who continue to share this vision but it is prepared to strongly oppose any developer which fails to deliver on its promises or chooses to oppose the vision endorsed by the local community.
The council’s approach to all the SDLs, which also involve Arborfield Garrison, South of the M4 including the villages of Shinfield, Spencers Wood and Three Mile Cross and South Wokingham, is to secure infrastructure for the whole of the area before granting planning permission. In a clear message to those developers who have chosen to ‘jump the gun’ by submitting applications which do not do this, the Inspector has strongly endorsed the council’s approach.
Making reference in his letter to a previous appeal in Shinfield, which the council successfully defended earlier this year and the up and coming appeal against refusal of housing development at Kentwood Farm, the Inspector said: "The development would thus prejudice the SDL development and relevant policy objectives for the area which compromise the spatial vision of an urban extension well supported by infrastructure, services and facilities."
Executive member for planning and strategic highways Cllr Angus Ross said: "I am delighted that our commitment to ensuring we get coordinated and comprehensive infrastructure from any future housing development has again been supported by the Planning Inspectorate. We now need developers to come forward with their plans together with these essential infrastructure contributions."
