Category: Wokingham and West Berkshire Issues

I have received the below letter from the Secretary of State for Education regarding the All Saints CofE (Aided) Primary School reaching academy status which I would like to share:

 

Dear colleague,

FUNDING AGREEMENT FOR ALL SAINTS COFE (AIDED) PRIMARY SCHOOL

I am pleased to inform you that I have agreed to enter into a Funding Agreement to allow All Saints CofE (Aided) Primary School, in Wokingham Borough Council, to become an academy.

The date of conversion will be 1 September 2022 and I am writing to the local authority to instruct it to cease maintaining the school from that date.

As you know, academies form an integral part of the Government’s education policy to raise attainment for all children and to bring about sustained improvements to all schools. I am delighted that the school recognises the benefits academy status will bring.

Rt Hon James Cleverly MP
Secretary of State for Education

Dear Clive

I am writing to urge you to extend the time allowed for consultation on your road plans, to improve the content on the website to allow clear overall visibility of the plans and to advertise it more widely so the public can engage.

The extensive plans to change roads and junctions in Wokingham Borough could pose considerable difficulties  to all those who need to use a van or car to earn a living, to deliver items to homes and shops to keep us supplied, to get children to school, to get people to surgeries and hospitals, to allow mobility to the disabled  and to give easy access to emergency vehicles when needed.

I welcome the provision of more and better cycleways away from main roads, and good walking routes also away from main roads. As someone who does a lot of walking in the local area I feel well catered for, with plenty of footpaths allowing me to get away from traffic. I support more greenways to schools so more children can choose to cycle or walk in relative safety away from main roads.

The area has experienced a fast pace of housing development which outstripped the capacity of the road network. Most new homes are lived in by people who need a car to get to work, to undertake the weekly shop or to go out in the evening. The Council was in the business of catching up with the  shortage of roadspace by putting in much needed bypasses and better highways for motor vehicles, leaving other routes freer for pedestrian and cycle priority. This current plan seems to want to damage the main road routes, adding to potential conflict at junctions between pedestrians and vehicles, and creating traffic jams which will cause more motorist and  van driver frustration. Changing successful junctions like the Woosehill roundabout which usually flows well is particularly worrying. Reducing main road capacity is a bad idea when we are short of capacity to start with.

The Consultation has been insufficiently advertised and is too short a time period when many people are away on holiday. The technology also does not make it easy to see what is planned in all parts of the Borough. It looks like an expensive and worrying plan which will worsen people’s experience of the Borough, frustrate visitors and make normal lives more vexatious. I suggest the Council thinks again and goes back to a system of incremental improvement with a balanced approach which allows vehicle users principal routes to get around whilst providing more safe routes for cyclists and pedestrians. The main A and B roads should be strategic local routes to allow business to flourish and to permit all those who need to use a car because of distance or disability to do so easily.

At a time when the Council is worried about having enough money for crucial priorities in social care and education  this potentially large expenditure looks badly judged.  

Yours sincerely

 

The Rt Hon Sir John Redwood MP, D.Phil, FCSI

Member of Parliament for Wokingham

www.johnredwoodsdiary.com

Twitter: @johnredwood

Yesterday I visited Bohunt to discuss the details for the new sixth form. I was pleased to hear from the Head that they are advancing plans to have a new building constructed and open by autumn 2023.

I visited a couple of classes to talk to the pupils. Many were out on visits or enjoying sports as the end of term draws near.

I visited Biointeractions at their request. It is a successful company making products to control infection for surgical implants and in other medical uses. The showed me their laboratories, with research, production of their coatings and testing all in the same building at Collegiate Square.

They have grown the business over the years and now have 20 staff. They are developing new products which they think will help infection control in hospitals. It is good news that local talent is working away on one of the crucial issues for the NHS as well as overseas medical services. There is always room to improve infection control to reduce the numbers of people who develop a condition after surgery and treatment.

 NC17

 

 

To move the following Clause—

 

“Community right of appeal

 

• The Town and Country Planning Act 1990 is amended as follows.
• After section 78 (right to appeal against planning decisions and failure to take such decisions) insert—

 

“78ZA Community right of appeal

 

• The Secretary of State must by regulations make provision—
• enabling communities to appeal against a decision to grant planning permission or permission in principle for a development, and
• about such appeals.
• The regulations may require a certain number or proportion of residents of a local area to record objection against a decision for such an appeal to proceed.
• The regulations may, in particular, make provision the upholding of such appeals and the revocation of permission if—
• the development is inconsistent with a relevant neighbourhood plan, or
• due process has not been followed in relation to the planning application.
• The first regulations under this section must be laid before Parliament before the end of the period of six months beginning on the day on which this section comes into force.””

 

Member’s explanatory statement

This new clause would introduce a community right of appeal against the granting of planning permission

 

 

 Amendment 57

 

Clause 83, page 91, line 30, leave out “national development management policy” and insert “the development plan”

 

Member’s explanatory statement

This amendment would require any conflict between a local development plan and a national development management strategy to be resolved in favour of the local development plan.

 

NC15

 

 

To move the following Clause—

 “Requirements of the National Planning Policy Framework

 

• The Secretary of State must ensure that the National Planning Policy Framework (NPPF) is in accordance with subsections (2) to (6).
• The NPPF must not contain a presumption in favour of sustainable development including where there are no relevant development plan policies, or such policies are out-of-date.
• The NPPF must provide for the right for persons to object to individual planning applications.
• The NPPF must provide that the Planning Inspectorate may only recommend that local plans not be adopted if—

1. the consequences of that local plan would be detrimental to the objectives of such plans, and
2. that local plan is markedly and verifiably atypical in comparison to other such plans.

• The NPPF must permit local planning authorities to impose bans on greenfield development in their areas, other than in exceptional circumstances, where—

1. greenfield areas make a marked contribution to the local economy through leisure or tourism, and
2. where sufficient brownfield land is likely to be available to meet housing needs identified in neighbourhood and local plans.

• The NPPF must include specific measures designed to support the creation of additional retirement homes, sheltered accommodation for the elderly and facilities for care homes.
• This section comes into force at the end of the period of six months beginning on the day on which this Act is passed.”

 

Member’s explanatory statement

This new clause requires a revised NPPF within six months to provide that, among other things, there should be no presumption of sustainable development.

 

5 Year Land Supply– NC14

“Prohibition of mandatory targets and abolition of five-year land supply rule

(1) Any housebuilding target for local planning authorities in—

• the National Planning Policy Framework (NPPF),

(b) regulations made under any enactment, or

(c) any planning policy document may only be advisory and not mandatory.

 

(2) Accordingly, such targets should not be taken into account in determining planning applications.

 

(3) The NPPF must not impose an obligation on local planning authorities to ensure that sufficient housing development sites are available over five years or any other given period.”

 

Member’s explanatory statement

This new clause requires a revised NPPF within six months to provide that housing targets are advisory not mandatory and that the five-year housing land supply rule will no longer apply.

 

At the Earley AGMs on Thursday 14th June and at the  Wokingham Conservative AGM on Friday 25th June I spoke about the work I have been doing in a number of important areas.

1. Housing numbers and a new local Plan
2. The need for an economic policy to fight recession
3. Measures to be taken to ease the cost of living squeeze, including some incorporated in the recent government package
4. A new energy policy for the Uk to reduce import dependence
5. Home grown food and the countryside
6. Social care needs
7. Tackling health waiting lists

Recent posts on the main website give more the background to my remarks for those interested.

On Friday I joined a regular local health review meeting to hear from management where the NHS has reached in restoring services post covid and tackling waiting lists. I was told that activity levels are  up on pre 2020 figures and all waits of over 2 years have been eliminated. A and E , GP appointments and 111 calls are all well up on past levels as the NHS seeks to tackle the backlogs.

Please find below my letter to the Chief Executive at Wokingham Borough Council regarding A1 Car Spares:

Dear Susan

I am aware that my constituents have met with Wokingham Borough Council to discuss the noise levels arising from A1 Car Spares.

This is a long running situation in which the residents have had to live with the noise generated by A1 on a daily basis. My constituents tell me that A1 have failed to comply with conditions placed on them regarding hours of operation, noise and vibration levels and they have failed to adhere to their own Noise Management Plan.  The effect on the quality of life of my constituents cannot be stressed too strongly.

I am told there is relentless grinding noise, with reversing alarms from trucks sound continuously throughout the day.

Since 2019 I have worked with my constituents, Wokingham Borough Council and the Environment Agency in order to bring about a resolution which all parties can live with. Any respite achieved has been temporary and my constituents are understandably frustrated as am I.

The residents have also raised concerns about A1 cutting down protected trees and water pollution as a result of their operations.

I strongly support my constituents and I ask the Council to deal decisively with the problem and bring about a permanent solution which is long overdue.

Yours sincerely

Rt Hon Sir John Redwood

I met leading Councillors and Planning Officers on Friday at the Borough Council offices. I explained why I would like the next local Plan to confirm lower new housing numbers given the past pressures on green spaces, local infrastructure and public services from the rate of development.

 

The Council said it too would like to slow the growth rate. I suggested that the Council:

 

1. Maximises identified land that should be kept free of development through the various designations of green space, sites of special scientific interest, green belt, green gaps between settlements, recreation space, good quality  agricultural land and others

 

2. Do not identify a large number of marginal or unsuitable sites  as possibly suitable for housing as that might make defending decisions later more difficult.

 

3. Make a proposal for changing the way housing need is calculated, as this is central to calculating how much land needs to be identified for housing.  The  Secretary of State is currently considering whether and how to change national planning law. I would be happy to put a good working proposal to the Secretary of State.

 

The Council needs to get on with a new local Plan to cover the period up to 2037. The current Plan is near its end and is too permissive.