Maidenhead & Windsor

The Windsor and Maidenhead council says it will continue to fight against pressure for even more housebuilding in the Royal Borough over the next 20 years.

This follows the publication of the examination report on the South East Plan, which proposes 1,300 additional houses for the borough over the next 20 years (from 5,620 proposed in the draft plan to 6,920).

The 23.1% rise is the borough’s share of an overall regional increase in housebuilding proposed by the panel of three inspectors and it has prompted Windsor and Maidenhead Cllr Derek Wilson to reiterate the council’s determined opposition to ever-increasing demands for local development.

He said: “Taking outstanding planning commitments into account, the borough is already achieving its share of housebuilding but the examination report is still disappointing because it continues to place yet higher targets on the Royal Borough. This is despite the fact that more than 80% of the borough is Green Belt and that there is a limited number of brownfield sites available for development.

“The borough put up a robust case against overdevelopment when we took part in the public examination into the draft plan and while the revised figures are not unexpected, we have a very real fear that the government may want to impose an even higher target when they publish their amendments in the future.

“Through public consultations on the Local Development Framework (LDF) the council is carefully planning for levels of housing to meet local needs while protecting the Green Belt. We will not just roll over and accept levels of development if we believe they will be detrimental to our community.”

The examination report has now been submitted to the government. Windsor and Maidenhead council will carefully consider the implications of the report, ready for the next opportunity to make its views known when the government publishes its proposed amendments. There will be a 12-week consultation, expected later this year or early in 2008.

The Royal Borough of Windsor and Maidenhead