CIVIC chiefs are set to approve the next stage of consultation for Winchester district's local plan, despite a former city councillor branding it 'wholly fictitious'.
Winchester City Council will rubber-stamp the new six-week consultation at the full council meeting on Wednesday, August 28.
The meeting was brought forward after the Labour government announced new housing targets, meaning the number of homes earmarked for Winchester district per year has gone up from 676 to 1,099, an increase of 423, or 62 per cent.
The plan includes development at major sites such as Sir John Moore Barracks and Bushfield Camp, as well as smaller sites in the southern parishes and market towns.
Patrick Davies, a former leader of the Labour group on the city council, has been critical of the process and made his thoughts clear at the cabinet meeting on Monday, August 19. He is due to ask a question at the meeting on Wednesday evening.
READ MORE: Winchester local plan process branded as 'tragic and damaging'
His question is: “How will the council be able to resist applications for significant new housing developments on sites not allocated for development in their proposed regulation 19 document, which may soon be submitted to them by developers who will be able to point out that the council has totally ignored the impending changes to the NPPF in its published document with its failure to reconsider the required housing numbers?”
Cllr Jackie Porter, cabinet member for place and the local plan, will respond at the meeting.
Mr Davies said: “I am convinced the council is being lead into a blind alley by all three parties currently represented on the council - the Liberal Democrats, the Conservatives and the Greens.
“They are all promoting a wholly fictitious new Local Plan, pretending that the Tories are still in power. Their whole document of almost 600 pages is a total disgrace as the only reference to the change of Government is a few words in the introduction by Cllrs Tod and Porter.
“The main document ignores all the new advice on how the council needs to tackle the housing emergency. Their figures in the new plan are a blatant attempt to undermine the new Government’s advice, and are so wholly unrealistic that Winchester risks new totally inappropriate sites for new housing being promoted now by developers and potentially allowed on appeal.”
He added: “Winchester deserves better; namely a carefully worked out Local Plan taking detailed notice of national policy, with full consultation with local communities on the real options for the way forward
“It’s a scandal that the council intends to consult Winchester citizens on a bogus document which can never be approved in its present form.”
Speaking at the cabinet meeting, council leader Martin Tod said: “To describe it as a wholly misleading document is complete nonsense. We face an immense challenge. It has taken three years to get to this point. The plan sets out a new vision for development in the district. Our officers have kept going as national policy has changed. I strongly believe this is the right plan for our district.”
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