Subject: Response to Your Letter Regarding CA12 and the Local Plan Adoption

Dated : 12 June 2025

Dear Cllr Gaines,

Thank you for your recent letter and for your commitment to continued dialogue with Cold Ash Parish Council. We appreciate your willingness to engage with us in the spirit of collaboration as we move forward following the formal adoption of the West Berkshire Local Plan.

While we recognise the broader pressures faced by West Berkshire Council (WBC), particularly those imposed by national planning policy and the late emergence of updated flood risk data, we must again highlight that WBC had earlier opportunities to consult more closely with Cold Ash Parish Council in line with the adopted Cold Ash Neighbourhood Development Plan (NDP). As you are aware, the NDP — a legally recognised part of the Development Plan since 2023 — clearly identified CA12 as highly constrained and unsuitable for development.

The allocation of CA12, despite those clearly documented constraints, has caused understandable frustration and disappointment within the community. Many residents feel that the principles of localism and neighbourhood planning have not been respected in this instance, and we must register that concern formally — it represents a difficult day for local democracy.

That said, we now acknowledge that the Local Plan has been adopted by West Berkshire Council following the Full Council vote on 10th June 2025. Our focus must now include constructive engagement on the next phase of delivery and ensuring that the plan, in practice, serves the best interests of our parishioners.

In that context, we welcome the Planning Inspector’s requirement for a comprehensive and strategic Master Plan to underpin the implementation of the Local Plan across the district — of which CA12 is one of several allocated sites. Cold Ash Parish Council stands ready to contribute positively to that process and ensure that the Master Plan reflects not only the strategic needs of West Berkshire, but also the local character, environmental context, and values of the Cold Ash community.

To that end, we would appreciate it if you could share:

The anticipated timeline and key stages in the Master Plan’s development;
Details of the engagement strategy for parish councils and local communities;
Any supporting documentation or policy material you are currently able to share.

At the same time, we must also make clear that Cold Ash Parish Council will continue to oppose the CA12 development as it progresses through the formal planning application process. We maintain our position that the site is not fit for purpose — on environmental, technical, and policy grounds — and we will continue to raise our objections through all appropriate channels.

We look forward to hearing from you and to engaging constructively as part of the wider Master Plan process.

Yours sincerely,
Pete Murray

Vice Chair
Cold Ash Parish Council
p.murray@coldashparishcouncil.gov.uk

07836221710