Mrs May said that plans to replace three family homes in Sonning with 57 retirement flats are “over-development” and should be rejected. She wrote to Wokingham borough council on House of Commons headed notepaper warning that the scheme would increase traffic and strain local health services.
“I believe the application should be rejected because it represents over-development of this site, will significantly increase traffic movements on already very busy and often congested roads, and will adversely impact local amenity,” Mrs May wrote.
She said that consideration should be given to the “impact on the local healthcare infrastructure of a development of this sort for elderly residents”.
Mrs May sent the letter on the day the government announced the biggest shake-up of planning rules in a generation.
Ministers said they were tearing up outdated rules to help the country get building again and end the housing crisis.
It means there will be presumed planning consent for new housing in some areas to speed up the system, taking some decisions out of the hands of local councils.
Mrs May’s objection to the Arlington Retirement Lifestyles development sparked claims of Nimbyism – not in my backyard – from local councillors.
Labour’s Shirley Boyt said: “There’s so much irony in this it’s unbelievable. It’s total nimbyism and what will probably happen is because Theresa May has objected, the planning committee will refuse permission and then it will go to appeal and then it will get granted. That’s what usually happens with these things.”
