The Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, Hazel Blears, has amended proposals to the Regional Spatial Strategy for the South East in order to increase housing provision for the Royal Borough of Windsor & Maidenhead. This could result in an additional 1,300 homes being built over the next 18 years, a 23% increase on the number of houses originally envisioned when the strategy was first put forward in 2006.

More housing development

Commenting, Theresa May said: “It is quite unfair that the Government wants to allow even more housing development in the local area. Where do they think these new homes are going to be built? We have had enough problems with large development proposals without the Government saying that we need even more.”

“Recently we have seen an application to build over 400 homes at Badnell’s Pit among other proposals. These have been overwhelmingly opposed by local residents because they recognise that packing in more homes where they are not suitable is not a sensible solution. Many places are already suffering from congested roads and loss of local amenity and this will only increase if the Government gets its way and there are further large-scale developments. The Royal Borough has met its development targets from central government and residents will not welcome an increase”