OPPOSITION councillors from the Liberal Democrats and the Green party have criticised West Berkshire Council’s four-year strategy as ‘vague’ and ‘vapid’.

The council strategy, which runs from 2019 to 2023, sets out the six priorities in West Berkshire for improvement.

The priorities include ‘supporting everyone to reach their full potential’, supporting businesses, developing infrastructure, and maintaining a green district.

Councillor Lee Dillon (Lib Dem, Thatcham North East) said: “It doesn’t go into enough detail. This document, you could pick it up, and put it in front of any council, and they could adopt it, because it doesn’t mean anything.

“It says we will build more houses, but not what the mixture will be. This doesn’t tell residents of West Berkshire what we are going to do over the next five years, and that’s a real shame.”

Cllr David Marsh (Green, Newbury Wash Common) said: “It fails to address what we believe is the single biggest issue facing us, climate crisis, climate change, and climate breakdown, and how West Berkshire as a district is affected by this and how it should be responding to it as a matter of urgency.”

Cllr Marsh also said it fails to address air quality, recycling, public transport, and social housing ‘in a convincing way’. He said Sandleford, the new housing development, would be ‘almost wholly dependent on private cars.’

However, Tory councillors defended the strategy. Cllr Alan Law (Con, Basildon) said: “What you’re obliged to do, if you want to get rid of Sandleford, is tell us where those 2,000 houses are going to go elsewhere in the district.”

Cllr Lynne Doherty (Con, Newbury Speen), the new leader of the council, said: “It really disappoints me that in our first meeting, this is what we’re faced with. We need to come together. We recognise the good work that we’ve done and we need to build on it.”

Cllr Hillary Cole (Con, Chieveley & Cold Ash) said: “How can we cooperate with such a deadbeat lot?”  

Cllr Steve Ardagh-Walter (Con, Thatcham Colthrop & Crookham) said the strategy was not supposed to be lengthy and detailed, but rather a starting point.

He said: “This administration has done a lot of work over the last 11 years in terms of environmental issues, cycling, and many other areas. We wish to engage constructively and positively to develop a proper rounded strategy.”