Lib Dems welcome Government thumbs down to massive Kennet Meadows development

1.57.00pm BST (GMT +0100) Fri 18th Jul 2008

Communities to the south west of Reading have been living in fear ever since a team of Government Planning Inspectors recommended that a development of 7,500 new homes should be permitted in the area, north of the M4. Yesterday's announcement from Government, rejecting this recommendation, was greeted with delight by local Liberal Democrats.

"We have vigorously opposed this hair-brained scheme right from the outset," said Dr Royce Longton, Lib Dem Councillor for Burghfield and Opposition Spokesman on Planning on West Berkshire Council. "The area proposed for development lies in a flood plain so that building there would dramatically increase the risk of flooding in Reading and elsewhere in the Kennet Valley. Much of the area is also within Wildlife Heritage Sites which support, for example, one of the largest populations of nightingales in the country. To allow major development there would be an environmental disaster."

The Government announcement also proposed no increase in the overall housing allocations to West Berkshire above that indicated in the draft South East Plan. "This is also very good news," added Dr Longton. "I worked hard as a member of the Regional Assembly's Planning Committee to ensure that the draft plan proposed a manageable number of new houses for our District. It's a great relief that the Government appears to be accepting that figure, although they are proposing to increase the allocation to most other parts of the South East."

Dr Longton is urging all local residents who support the current Government position of rejecting the Kennet Meadows proposal, and not increasing the overall allocation to West Berkshire, to respond to the Government's 12 week consultation on this and related issues around the South East Plan. Letters should be sent to: The RSS Team, Government Office of the South East, 1 Walnut Tree Close, Guildford, GU1 4GA or email to rss@gse.gov.uk, quoting both references H1b Greater Reading and H1b West Berkshire.