Howard Woollaston: Parish Matters – Feb/Mar 2023
Howard Woollaston
West Berkshire Council Conservative member for Lambourn Ward
Executive Member for Housing , Leisure and Culture
February/March 2022
I was away on a much-needed holiday for the first two weeks of February but kept in touch by email and mobile. Even so my mailbox was pretty full on my return, and it took me nearly a week to catch up.
The Lambourn Neighbourhood Development Plan (LNDP)
The steering group recently met to bring together the comments from the six public consultations. We were delighted with the level of public engagement and the consultants have started drafting the formal plan. This is expected to go to West Berkshire Council, and then the Planning Inspectorate for approval, before being returned for a parish-wide referendum. Assuming all these hurdles are crossed it will then come into force, probably in early 2024.
You can find more information on the LNDP by clicking here.
The Draft West Berkshire Local Plan
The final public consultation (known as Regulation 19) on the local plan came to an end on 3 March. There was a significant number of responses – thankfully for the environment, mostly were electronic. The Regulation 19 consultation was confirmed as continuing at the Full Council on 2 March, contrary to some press comment which suggested otherwise.
Once these Regulation 19 comments have been considered and summarised, the local plan will then go to the Planning Inspectorate and then to the Secretary of State. All being well, it will come into force in 2024.
If a community is, like Lambourn, producing a neighbourhood development plan then this will, once it has passed all its stages (see the LNDP section above), be slotted into the local plan with as much authority as if WBC had written it itself.
The importance of having a local plan is that it shows a clear and approved strategy preventing maverick developers trying to build on inappropriate sites, including in our very special Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty.
Sewage and Flood Risk
I am sure that most are aware of the work that Thames Water is doing to create a new sewer from Bockhampton down to the treatment plant at East Shefford. I have to say that I feel for our near neighbours in East Garston, but it seems we might soon have direct experience of this a bit further west: yesterday a digger appeared in the field next to me, so I fear that Eastbury is about to take its share of the load.
The £5m scheme will be completed by September but it will look a mess for some time before then and will cause some road closures. Short-term pain for long-term gain!
Speeding
A recent major accident at Membury crossroads on the B4000 resulting in serious injuries once again reinforced the need for speed reduction. I have also asked for better road markings there.
I drove through East Ilsley last week and was surprised to see there is a 20mph limit. It adds to my argument for implementation of something similar for the centres of Lambourn and Eastbury.
I am still waiting to hear a date for the speed-limit review for the B4000 Ermin Street which I will be attending to explain residents’ views.
Membury
Planning consent for the Walkers site was granted at the WBC planning committee meeting on 8 February 2023.
Three members of the Woodlands Protection Group and I had a pre-meeting with Eric Owens, the Service Director responsible for Planning and Enforcement, to set the agenda for a meeting scheduled for 23 March. This will include representatives of the companies on the Industrial Estate. The objectives we put forward were:
- To contain the number of HGVs, and the damage that they are doing to the B4000 in particular.
- To look at reducing the speed limit on the B4000 and reducing it further on Ramsbury Road
- To attempt to get a definitive schedule of users on the Estate.
- To enforce working hour and light emissions to normal working hours.
- To attempt, through peer pressure or other means, to get a proper management plan in place for the whole Estate.
- To investigate ways of reducing water run off caused by the amount of hard standing.
- To work with the recently established Membury Business Group to address all these issues.
Eastbury’s Lights
The village-wide survey into street lighting has just been circulated to all households asking for a view on three options. There is a plastic box at the door to the church and residents have been asked to return the forms there by Sunday 12 March. A final decision will be made by the Parish Council.
The Local Election
This will take place on 4 May. Polling stations will be the same as usual apart from Eastbury where the hall can no longer be used so your votes will need to be cast in the Church instead.
Could I remind all that are intending to vote that you will need photographic proof of identity including passport, driving licence and travel passes. Free voter ID for those that need it, and more information on this change, can be obtained by clicking here or by calling 0800 328 0280.
I am arranging for posters to go up on all notice boards on this matter.
Setting the Budget
WBC has set its council tax rate with an increase of 2.99% (the maximum it can demand without going to a referendum) and a further 2% precept for adult social care. Clearly, this is significantly below inflation and in line with the vast majority of councils in England and Wales.
The 2023/24 budget was approved at Full Council on 2 March. The beginning of the process some months ago showed a deficit of £15m on a budget of approximately £150m, largely caused by inflation and energy costs but exacerbated by significant increased demand for adult social care and children’s care – combined, these make up getting on for 60% of the total budget. All councils are legally bound to set a balanced budget – through significant cost reductions and the use of reserves put aside for just this contingency, this has been achieved in West Berkshire with no reduction in services.
Sovereign’s Service Charges
I have had several requests for help from people renting from Sovereign Housing Association as a result of letters that have been received advising of significant increases in rent and service charges. I am aware from colleagues that other Housing Associations have taken a similar approach. Sovereign owns and manages over 6,500 residential properties in West Berkshire alone. It is a non- profit-making organisation but has very significant reserves intended for expanding its portfolio and upgrading existing properties.
Clearly, as with all organisations, inflation has taken its toll, particularly for energy provision. Housing associations have their ability to increase rent currently capped at 7% but this does not apply to service charges for multi-occupied properties such a flats. There have been demands to increase this charge by 240% in some cases: this is clearly not sustainable for the more vulnerable.
As Executive Policy Holder for Housing at WBC, I have instructed our officers to challenge the housing associations and I am personally taking it up with a senior director at Sovereign. I also want to establish whether there is any government support available or if we can use some of our Housing Needs budget to help – more to follow.
If any resident has received such a letter, please let me know: contact details are below.
A Hard-hat Interlude
Forgive me but I also wanted to mention that I had the opportunity to don high-vis jacket and hard hat when I went to see progress on the Lido in Newbury. When I was there, they were putting in 80 piles: all the pre-work is now completed.
It has been my” baby” and I am delighted that we are running a week ahead of schedule. The final planning issues have been approved and we are firmly on track to re-open in July with an Olympic-sized pool, water slides and a children’s splash area along with new changing rooms, loungers and shortly a café. Roll on summer!
The consultant’s evidence suggests that this will attract people from a wide area. I hope that many of you will be able to use what is going to be a wonderful new facility.
Get in Touch
For those of you who receive Parish Matters by email, these will not be sent by that method for March/April and April/May. The reason is that we go into what was called purdah (and now called the restricted period) on March 24, after which I am not by law permitted to use email addresses collected during my time as a ward member.
However, I will still be able to provide Parish Matters through Penny Post (which has all my Parish Matters posts going back to June/July 2020) and Lambourn.org. If I’m re-elected, the normal email communication will resume from the May/June issue: Parish Matters will also continue to be available through the above two outlets as well thereafter.
As ever if I can help please get in contact with me on 07836 718100 or Howardwoollaston1@westberks.gov.uk up until 23.59 on 23 March or on Woollastonhoward1@gmail.com from then until the election.
