The leader of Wokingham Borough Council has been forced to defend the strategy adopted to develop houses following accusations the borough has fallen behind on building targets.

Councillor David Lee was asked to explain comments made by a QC representing a developer appealing against refused plans to build hundreds of homes on land in the borough during a meeting of the authority on Thursday, January 19.

At a public inquiry held in December to resolve failed plans to build 274 homes at Kentwood Farm in Warren House Lane, Russell Harris QC, speaking on behalf of developer Crest Nicholson, suggested the borough is failing to build homes to keep up with demand.

The plan would be the first phase of a 1,500-home mini-town to the north of Wokingham, but the council turned the plan down as it did not provide a complete picture of new infrastructure.

The north Wokingham site is one of four Strategic Development Locations (SDLs) earmarked by council bosses to take the bulk of 13,200 homes by 2026.

Cllr Lee was asked by Cllr Beth Rowland, the Liberal Democrat ward member for South Lake in Woodley, to elaborate on the comments made at the inquiry.

Cllr Lee used the question as an opportunity to accuse developers with an interest in building in Wokingham of going against the guidelines set out in the authority’s Core Strategy planning document.

He said: “This application was constructed to make the council look as weak as possible. This council does have a sustainable housing strategy set out in our Core Strategy, which I am right in thinking [the Liberal Democrats] the only thing you objected to was the areas on which housing should go to.

“However, developers such as these are ignoring the economic situation and rate of house building and are going against the promises made in an examination [of the Core Strategy and SDLs] in public.

“I will be writing to our local MPs to make them aware of how developers are using the system against us.”

The application at Kentwood Farm is one of two high-profile applications awaiting a final decision from an independent Government planning inspector, with a verdict on these blueprints not expected until April or May at the earliest.

Plans to build 1,350 homes in Shinfield – another SDL site – put forward by a consortium involving The University of Reading is also in the hands of the planning inspectorate and a decision is expected within weeks.

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