Do you want an example of the damage caused by the ‘call for sites’ system? It is a nonsensical system for making spatial decisions to build here, but not here. To see the dislike inflicted on pubic confidence in the planning system consider this example.Look at what Wokingham borough’s spatial history since was established in 1974. Ask the question: has the council delivered on residents wishes? Of the 52 years since formation , Conservatives have held control for 41 years. Last year (2025) Liberal Democrat’s took control. The year before long established Conservative MP Sir John Redwood, first elected in 1997, was replaced by a new Liberal Democrat MP, Clive Jones.
At the end of 2021 and early 2020 the council conducted a major survey of residents opinions on house building. According to ChatGPT they had 2886 responses. The main concern residents expressed was why the borough needed more house building having regard to the high volume of construction already taking place, and frustration about local infrastructure pressures. Many responses were individual reactions to specific building options, not the broader picture, ie.why are new homes needed at all. . Questions about alternative, export led overspill building locations were not tabled and therefore residents never had an opportunity to express views about the full range of spatial options.
Local council leader, Stephen Conway says Wokingham must now plan for more than 1300 new homes a year, compared with 748 a year under the current local plan increase; an absolute increase of 75%. He recently said ‘Wokingham Borough Council’ faces a massive challenge on housing numbers in the coming years’. And this is after building ,lots of new homes in recent decades, starting in Lower Earley in the late 1970’s where I lived for a short stint! . According to a Staff Writer report in Wokingham.Today, (Revealed:Promoted sites for the next local plan), published October 12, 2026, my impression is locally no-one is happy. The writer says dozens of sites have been put forward for inclusion in Wokingham council’s 2045 Local Plan. As a past resident, or indeed simply as an observer of change, I know the scale of change Wokingham’s residents have had to endure for more since the seventies, seeing the map of possible sites you can see why no-one is happy. In the seventies, before the A329 was built I drove everyday through the town centre. My personal response…..thank goodness I moved out!
Cllr. Charles Margetts, commenting on behalf of the Conservative opposition to Wokingham Today said “The new local plan update shows the failure of the council to defend Wokingham Borough from unending greenfield development.The council has simply accepted without challenge the increased housing demand from the Labour government. The Liberal Democrat’s have a long track record of failure. …..The new plan shows the Liberal Democrat’s are bereft of ideas on development. The housing need in this country is for lower priced homes in town centres to give young people a start on the housing ladder instead of more large family homes on green fields. We should be directing development to our town centres where there are facilities and transport links. …..I urge local residents to have their say in the consultation and publicly reject this failure to defend Wokingham’s green fields and complete lack of vision for the future of our Borough”.
For the sake of fairness, it is worth noting what Wokingham’s Liberal Democrat MP, Clive Jones also said to Wokingham Today. He said “Wokingham is being asked to deliver too many houses on top of decades of major development, and I will keep making the case to ministers for a fairer allocation to our area. It is vital that lessons are learnt from the mistakes of past administrations and development is planned alongside the infrastructure needed to support it- from transport to ensuring GPs and hospitals to meet the needs of current and future residents”.
Well, what is my take on these concerns, and how to accommodate the Borough’s future housing needs? Leaving aside the unnecessary and inaccurate suggestion by Cllr Margetts that the Liberal Democrat’s are to blame for the tragedy which their Borough faces, which Sir John Redwood, the previous Conservative Wokingham MP with whom I unsuccessful corresponded for many years about this unfolding tragedy and the total lack of foresight by earlier Conservative administrations in the Borough, I largely agree with them both. Wokingham Borough faces a diabolical set of spatial choices, intended by the government to continue failed spatail policies for another generation. What should be their response? But where in the town centre can you build lots and lots of new homes, without first demolishing pre-ear homes to release gentle densification?
Wholesale, cross-party resignation of all Wokingham’s councillors is their next step. Wokingham Borough cannot deliver the homes government policy dictates without delivering to their area unpopular land use changes which no thoughtful councillor, irrespective of their party allegiance can as a matter of civic duty to future generations deliver without imposing irreparable land use change. The changes of use necessary will turn an existing fragmented urban/rural landscape into a chaotic, tatty and uncoordinated mosaic of land use nonsense. Think of the image England’s green and pleased land conjectures in your mind. Now think of the opposite. Now you see Wokingham’s spatial future, if councillors do not revolt; do not stop another decade of hazy government housing policy. The impact of all councillors resigning together will be powerful, and will enable the government to do something it wants to do, but us scared of doing. Enabling councils to take back land ownership control of their areas, being the only way to deliver government priorities and do so with local support.
What spatial policies should Wokingham propose instead? They must form an alliance with other local councils in the Thames Valley who are faced with similar unacceptable demands, Windsor and Maidenhead council is an obvious first choice, They are hemmed in my green belt, over four fifths. But most of their land, like Wokingham’s is flat and has low countryside appeal. If it had appeal it would be classed as AONB. But it isn’t. All the same, local residents are passionate about preserving their areas sense of open countryside despite most of it being out of bounds.
So the question then becomes where will these essential new homes go, because they are needed and they must be built. Somewhere in the Thames Valley, with about half an hour of these borough’s? But where. As a previous blog explains. the obvious location is the large area of unprotected land south of Reading, towards Basingstoke and towards Fleet. The MOD areas south of Junction 11, M4 must be passed over. Direct train links from Reading to Basingstoke and Guildford, plus dual carriageway roads might be pointers. Masterplanners will know.
So here is a call for leadership by Wokingham’s councillors. What an example it could show. Recognition that continuing the existing broken system of land use allocation, call for sites, has failed. Recognition that long term spatial policies must replace shortermism. Recognition that continuing party politics in local councils spatial policies stops councillors delivering their civic priorities whilst also recognising that national governments have national policies and these policies must be delivered by local councils. . And a late realisation these policies can be delivered in ways that enhance local residents futures, not diminish them. Put plainly they can be opportunities not threats. Look at the theory of premium values or ask landed families estates.
I live in hope. Wokingham’s spatial dilemma first hit me in the mid-late 1980’s. My own attempts to highlight long term spatial foresight over the last 10/ 15 years have failed. Persuading local residents and their elected leaders that ignoring long term threats which are like the tide, they always arrive, is difficult. At my age I can do no more. I do hope Wokingham will redeem its past spatial failures and take the lead. After all, geography means the incoming tide will hit Wokingham first. So it is most at risk of another decade of spatial failure.
Ian Campbell
25 October 2026
