Fears rule changes could force more flats on Reading

The government is currently investigating how to deliver new housing throughout the country in its consultation ‘Strengthening planning policy for brownfield development’.

The aim of the government is to prioritise new development on sites which are already built up, rather than on greenfield sites.

However, Reading Borough Council’s Labour administration has raised fears that rule changes could force even more housing on the town and other urban areas.

The government proposal strengthens tests over the amount of homes being delivered in town.

If housing delivery is falling behind government targets, there would be a presumption that a housing development should be approved.

Micky Leng deputy leader and lead councillor for planning said: “In Reading, we are prepared, as we always have been, to pull our weight in helping to solve the housing crisis.

“Our track record on delivery of new homes against assessed local needs is very strong, and the vast majority of this is on brownfield land. Housing development at high density on brownfield sites has been going on in Reading for decades, particularly in the town centre.

“However, these new planning policy proposals mean that Reading is one of a select few large urban areas that will now be expected to make up for failures in housing delivery across the rest of the country.

Councillors Rachel Eden, Micky Leng and Alice Mpofu-Coles, all Labour representatives for Whitley ward at the entrance to the temporary Whitley Wood Community Centre in Lexington Grove. Credit: Reading Labour

“The Government’s new proposed policy changes would make this even more pronounced, by threatening to bypass our adopted local policies if we even fall fractionally below the expected number of new homes, and including if this is due to matters completely out of the Council’s hands, such as the wider economic picture for example.

“The Council fully acknowledges the need for new housing, and in particular affordable housing, and we fully support the principle of building new homes on previously developed land where public transport access is good.

“But there is a much wider discussion to be had about how this can be unlocked by Government funding and how vital infrastructure can be provided alongside any new homes. The national consultation misses the opportunity to start that important conversation.”

The council has joined forces with nine other councils to send a joint response to the consultation.

The joint response presents concerns, on behalf of the urban authorities, that limited space in the major urban areas and particular complexities with development on urban sites – including past contamination, air quality and challenges in providing a high standard of living for new residents – mean the Government’s proposals are unlikely to be effective.