Category: Wokingham and West Berkshire Issues

 

Conscious of the need to mend our roads I have ben lobbying the Transport department for more money to help us carry out repairs after a bad winter. I have raised it with the Secretary of State in private and in the House.

Today I received a letter from the Transport Secretary telling me that West Berkshire will receive an additional £1,489,480 for road repairs this year, and Wokingham will receive an additional £395,353. Reading will get £151,947 and Bracknell £162,840.

There will also be a new fund of £168 m for next year where both West Berks and Wokingham can bid for additional funds. I recommend both Councils do so.

 

Last Friday it was good to be present at the official opening of the new station, after so many years of pressing Network Rail to build one. The new building will offer better facilities and provides a much more impressive gateway to the town than the old structure, which the railway  kept well beyond its useful life.

The opening gave me the chance to talk to Network Rail again about the problems the level crossings create for movement around the town. The gates  are down for too long a period each hour, especially during the peaks. The railway claims they cannot improve on it for safety reasons, yet observation suggests that the current safety margin is longer than needed, longer than in some other locations, and longer than it used to be in Wokingham. The best long term answer to the traffic chaos caused by the gates is a new road bridge, which the Council are now working on.

 

Last friday I met Dr Anne Murdoch and Tim Smith of the Thames Valley Berkshire Local Enterprise Partnership.  They told me they have five staff members and a budget of £15million. They express views on business, training, planning and transport matters, and are spending some of their money on helping local businesses.

I explained to them that I regard it as the MPs’ jobs to talk to government about what we need and want from the national authorities, and the role of Councillors to undertake local planning and service provision. It is important that the LEP works within the vision and policy initiatives of the MPs and Councils. One of the reasons we successfully  lobbied for the abolition of the South East RDA was its unwillingness to work with the MPs and Councils on our vision of the future, as well as its wasteful spending.

They agreed with this approach. Their draft Berkshire plan revolves around four main issues, the provision of infrastructure, the growth of enterprise, the development of skills and relationships with the wider business world overseas. So far it lacks specifics for each locality. Given their own small budget most of the items needed within this wide range of issues will be provided by either central or local government, or the private sector.

I explained to them some of the local needs that I have been working on. These included noise reducing surfaces on the M4 to be part of the managed motorway now proposed, a bridge over the railway line to the east of Wokingham town centre, a revised town centre redevelopment proposal that meets local worries, an expansion of Reading University’s science base and associated development of a science park, better links between business and schools and a wider awareness of self employment and small business development as a career option.

We also discussed the long standing proposal for a new river crossing to the east of Reading. The prolonged closure of Sonning Bridge has reminded us of the problem, but Oxfordshire has always blocked progress.

 

I have received the enclosed letter from the Planning Minister:

DCLG has published the final version of our consolidated planning practice guidance and also our response to a consultation on making it easier to change the use of redundant and under-used buildings.

The Coalition Government is committed to reforming the planning system to make it simpler, clearer and easier for people to use. We are also committed both to ensuring that countryside and environmental protections continue to be safeguarded, and to devolving power down not just to local councils, but also down to neighbourhoods and local residents.

An accessible planning system

Planning should not be the exclusive preserve of lawyers, developers or town hall officials. This Government inherited over 7,000 pages of complex, overlapping and repetitive planning practice guidance. This is in addition to planning policy contained with the consolidated National Planning Policy Framework. A streamlined version of the practice guidance can now be found online in one place at: http://planningguidance.planningportal.gov.uk

We have carefully listened to representations from colleagues in recent Parliamentary debates. In particular, to help councils with their Local Plans, we are:

• Issuing robust guidance on flood risk, making it crystal clear that councils need to consider the strict tests set out in national policy, and where these are not met, new development on flood risk sites should not be allowed. http://planningguidance.planningportal.gov.uk/blog/guidance/flood-risk-and-coastal-change/planning-and-flood-risk/#paragraph_001

• Re-affirming the importance of Green Belt protection and ensuring its robust safeguards are not undermined when assessing unmet housing need. http://planningguidance.planningportal.gov.uk/blog/guidance/housing-and-economic-land-availability-assessment/stage-5-final-evidence-base/#paragraph_034

• Stressing the importance of bringing brownfield land into use. http://planningguidance.planningportal.gov.uk/blog/guidance/viability-guidance/viability-and-plan-making/#paragraph_025

• Making clear that Local Plans can pass the test of soundness where authorities have not been able to identify land for growth in years 11-15 of their Local Plan, which often can be the most challenging part for a local authority. http://planningguidance.planningportal.gov.uk/blog/guidance/housing-and-economic-land-availability-assessment/stage-4-assessment-review/#paragraph_027

• Noting that windfalls can be counted over the whole Local Plan period.

http://planningguidance.planningportal.gov.uk/blog/guidance/housing-and-economic-land-availability-assessment/stage-3-determining-the-housing-potential-of-windfall-sites-where-justified/#paragraph_24

• Explaining how student housing, housing for older people and the re-use of empty homes can be included when assessing housing need.

http://planningguidance.planningportal.gov.uk/blog/guidance/housing-and-economic-land-availability-assessment/stage-5-final-evidence-base/#paragraph_037 and
http://planningguidance.planningportal.gov.uk/blog/guidance/housing-and-economic-land-availability-assessment/stage-5-final-evidence-base/#paragraph_038 and
http://planningguidance.planningportal.gov.uk/blog/guidance/housing-and-economic-land-availability-assessment/stage-5-final-evidence-base/#paragraph_039

• Ensuring that infrastructure is provided to support new development, and noting how infrastructure constraints should be considered when assessing suitability of sites. http://planningguidance.planningportal.gov.uk/blog/guidance/local-plans/preparing-a-local-plan/#paragraph_018 and http://planningguidance.planningportal.gov.uk/blog/guidance/housing-and-economic-land-availability-assessment/methodology-stage-2-sitebroad-location-assessment/#paragraph_022

• Noting that councils should also be able to consider the delivery record (or lack of) of developers or landowners, including a history of unimplemented permissions. This will also serve to encourage developers to deliver on their planning permissions.
http://planningguidance.planningportal.gov.uk/blog/guidance/housing-and-economic-land-availability-assessment/methodology-stage-2-sitebroad-location-assessment/#paragraph_020

• Incorporating the guidance on wind / renewable energy (including heritage and amenity) published during last summer and also making it clearer in relation to solar farms, that visual impact is a particular factor for consideration. http://planningguidance.planningportal.gov.uk/blog/guidance/renewable-and-low-carbon-energy/particular-planning-considerations-for-hydropower-active-solar-technology-solar-farms-and-wind-turbines/#paragraph_010

• Allowing past over-supply of housing to be taken into account when assessing housing needs.
http://planningguidance.planningportal.gov.uk/blog/guidance/housing-and-economic-land-availability-assessment/stage-5-final-evidence-base/#paragraph_036

• On the five year supply of sites, confirming that assessments are not automatically outdated by new household projections.
http://planningguidance.planningportal.gov.uk/blog/guidance/housing-and-economic-development-needs-assessments/methodology-assessing-housing-need/#paragraph_016

• Clarifying when councils can consider refusing permission on the grounds of prematurity in relation to draft plans. http://planningguidance.planningportal.gov.uk/blog/guidance/determining-a-planning-application/how-must-decisions-on-applications-for-planning-permission-be-made/#paragraph_014 and http://planningguidance.planningportal.gov.uk/blog/guidance/local-plans/preparing-a-local-plan/#paragraph_019

• Encouraging joint working between local authorities, but clarifying that the duty to co-operate is not a duty to accept. We have rejected the Labour Party proposals to allow councils to undermine Green Belt protection and dump development on their neighbours’ doorstep. http://planningguidance.planningportal.gov.uk/blog/guidance/duty-to-cooperate/what-is-the-duty-to-cooperate-and-what-does-it-require/#paragraph_001 and http://planningguidance.planningportal.gov.uk/blog/guidance/duty-to-cooperate/what-is-the-duty-to-cooperate-and-what-does-it-require/#paragraph_021

Encouraging re-use of empty and under-used buildings

In August 2013, DCLG published a consultation paper on a further set of greater flexibilities for change of use. These reforms will save time and money for applicants and councils, encourage the re-use of empty and under-used buildings, and support brownfield regeneration. The reforms include:

• Allowing for retail to residential change of use, outside key shopping areas like the town centre and main high street. We recognise the importance of retaining adequate provision of services that are essential to the local community such as post offices, so measures will allow for the protection of such local services.

• Increasing access to retail banking and to encourage new entrants in the retail banking market, by allowing shops to change to banks, building societies, credit unions and friendly societies. This does not cover betting shops or payday loan shops.

• Providing new homes in rural areas by a limited agricultural to residential change of use. These reforms will make better use of redundant or under-used agricultural buildings, increasing rural housing without building on the countryside. We recognise the importance to the public of safeguarding environmentally protected areas, so this change of use will not apply in protected areas such as National Parks or Areas of Outstanding Natural Beauty.

• Extending access to education and childcare: extending the existing permitted development rights for change of use to state-funded schools to cover new registered nurseries. Agricultural buildings up to 500 square metres will also be able to change to state-funded schools and registered nurseries.

I believe that these are a practical and reasonable set of changes that will help facilitate locally-led development, encourage brownfield regeneration and promote badly-needed new housing at no cost to the taxpayer. The reforms complement both the Coalition Government’s decentralisation agenda and our long-term economic plan.

Yours truly,

Nick Boles MP
Minister for Planning

 

        Several constituents wrote to me in suport of Mr Burstow’s proposed amendment to the Care bill, backed by the Labour party and 38 Degrees.

       Mr Burstow sought to amend the Trust Speclal Administration regime introduced by Labour to deal with extreme hospital failures. The Coalition planned to continue the Labour approach, but also to make sure any considerations of changes to a hospital put into special measures could be considered in the local context of the services offered by neighbouring NHS hospitals. Mr Burstow was worried in case it became a route for closing more hospitals without proper consultsation. That is something I certainly did not wish to see either.

          Ministers responded to this criticism in Clause 119 by making helpful changes to Labour’s approach. Public consultation periods are extended  from 6 to 8 weeks, and remain a necessity.  All Commissioners of local NHS services must be involved in any new plans and must agree with the proposals. Greater public and patient involvement is required under Clause 119 by requiring the Administrator to consult Councils and local healthwatch organisations, and to hold at least one public meeting.

           Given these improvements, and given the Minister’s assurance that this special regime would only be used rarely in the future as in the past where a hospital has failed badly, Mr Burstow decided there was no need to move his proposal. Mr Burstow will also be involved in a working party to finalise the details of how to implement this new law.

            Given Mr Burstow’s acceptance of the government’s approach, I also accepted the proposals of the Minister.

 

On Friday I visited St Crispin’s School. I was invited to tour the buildings, and to see the recently built  Science block. It provides excellent new accommodation for science, and is in an architectural style which blends well with the distinctive twentieth century concrete structures of the listed buildings of the main school.

I stopped to answer questions in the sixth form Business/Economics class. Issues raised included the impact of a possible tax on sugar, the likely effect of cutting the top rate of tax and the balance of the UK’s trade with the rest of the world.

I am grateful to the Chairman of Governors, Head and Deputy Head for showing me round and being so enthusiastic about their school.

 Mrs Caroline Rathmell has asked me to highlight the work she is doing with charity to help dementia sufferers in our local area. I am happy to do so. The aim is to improve awareness of the needs of dementia sufferers in the wider community so businesses and public sector service providers can help them more.  This can be found on their website, www.alzheimer’s.org.uk.The Alzheimer’s Society provides information and literature to assist. Mrs  Rathmell writes:

“I set up two town
centre walks last October in Wokingham involving a total of nine people
with dementia and their carers to assess the dementia friendliness of
the town. Overall, their comments were quite positive. Some useful
comments were made about the variability of pavement surfaces, lack of
public toilets and limited seating areas. Clearer signposting was
recommended and some felt a couple of the pavements were too cluttered
with ‘street furniture’. Plus a few comments were made about individual
shops and premises. Alain Wilkes at WBC has seen the report and I will
share it with Sarah Morgan when we meet this week.

You should hopefully see increased local media coverage on dementia over
the next few months. And I’d be grateful if you could mention the local
Wokingham Borough Dementia Action Alliance (DAA), dementia friendly
communities scheme and the Dementia Friends training at any relevant
forums you both attend.

Reminder: DAA launch event – Tuesday 20th May at 11 am, in The Methodist
Church (Bradbury Centre). ” 

Mrs Rathmell can be contacted at caroline.rathmell@alzheimer’s.org.uk.

 

I attended a meeting of some Thames Valley MPs with our Police Commissioner in the Commons this week.

He reported on the falling volume of burglary, one of his targets for reduction. He also told us of progress with rural crime, where the police have mounted special operations following thefts of tractors and other farm equipment.

Wokingham remains at the bottom of the tables of offences committed by area, which is good news. Each individual crime, however, is a blow to the victims and a crime too many.

 

I held a meeting this week with the Rail Minister. I stressed to him the need for better commuter services on both the Reading to Paddington and the Reading to Waterloo lines, where we need more capacity and greater frequency of service on the Waterloo line. He has promised to write to me with their plans for better services, given the extra capacity the expensive new Reading Station can create.

I also reminded him of the problems we have getting across the railway line in Wokingham with three level crossings. I also asked where they have got with their plans to make the Ufton Nervet crossing safer. I asked for assistance with Network Rail for  the new  Wokingham bridge over the railway that the Council is discussing, for urgent works at Ufton Nervet, and a review of the use and timings of the level crossings in Wokingham.

When I receive a written reply I will update this item.

 

           On Monday morning with sunshine and a blue sky I opened the new classroom block at the Holt School.

           It was the first day for the new rooms to come into use. 8 new teaching rooms will now be available for History, Geography and Philosophy of Religion. There are also new work rooms for teachers.

            I would like to say Thank you to all those who contributed money to help pay for the building in addition to the government money, to the Architect and contractors for building it switfly to a sensible budget, and to the School management  for organising it.

          Judging by the comments and the looks on the faces of the pupils as they had their first experience of the new facilities, it will be a most welcome addition to a successful school.