Review: West Berkshire breakfast with Cllr Tony Vickers
SP Broadway was delighted to welcome Cllr Tony Vickers, Portfolio Holder for Planning and Community Engagement, West Berkshire Council, as the guest speaker for our latest online Politics of Planning roundtable.
Attendees from Ptarmigan Land, Boyer Planning, Abri, Wates, Savills, and Lichfields among others all contributed to the discussion. Topics covered included the need for infrastructure to be built during development rather than too late after development, the challenges of a large AONB in the council, and the need for a collaborative relationship between the council and developers.
Cllr Vickers gave an in-depth overview of the planning landscape in West Berkshire. He covered the blocked withdrawal of the Local Plan by the Housing Minister but also the need to accept this decision and work constructively around it. Cllr Vickers led a discussion on viable villages and the need for more affordable housing in rural areas of West Berkshire and discussed what may come of a Labour government at the end of this year and what both developers and councils could prepare for and expect.
Our thanks to Cllr Vickers and guests for attending and contributing to such an interesting discussion. Our next online event is with Clive Betts MP, Chair of the Levelling Up, Housing and Communities Select Committee, on Wednesday 17th April.
If you would like to attend any of our forthcoming events, please email edward@spbroadway.com.
