Possible groundworks at Thames Farm

I have received many enquiries about the possible groundworks (site stabilisation/'grouting' etc) at Thames Farm and whether a planning application has been sibmitted by Taylor Wimpey. This is a statement from SODC planning:

The Planning Acts facilitate applicants/developers to make planning applications for development on any land at any time.  The Council must consider and should determine such applications on the information submitted. The Council has no power under the Planning Acts to require applicants/developers to make a planning application, however we do encourage the application process where appropriate. 

In this instance, we have advised Taylor Wimpey that the possible groundworks, in our view, would constitute an engineering operation which would require a separate new planning application. Based on the information to date, we consider such works are outside the existing planning permission and any agreed conditions. We are not able to set out or determine a timeframe by which Taylor Wimpey need to submit a new application.  Taylor Wimpey can take their own view and interpretation on whether they need to make an application. There is no legal ruling (court decision) at this stage of the planning process.

If Taylor Wimpey progress development/works and we consider there is a breach of planning, (not following the planning process is not a breach of planning) then the Council will obviously consider its position at that time. The council cannot pre-empt a breach of planning without robust evidence.  

Posted by: David Bartholomew | 21/07/2021 9:06 am

Shiplake Parish Council(SPC), along with TFAG, will very shortly be updating residents and providing suggestions as to what actions they should be taking re the new submission. SPC will be discussing the whole submission at its planning meeting tonight in order to finalise its response.

Posted by: David Pheasant | 21/07/2021 6:26 pm

TFAG will also be preparing a draft for residents to record their objections to this submission if they wish to do so, and circulating this very shortly after we have made formal objections to SODC and submitted the updated JBA report on this latest iteration of this long running fiasco. The final version of the report (draft already seen) should be available by COP today. 2/2 Peter @ TFAG

Posted by: Peter Boros | 21/07/2021 10:15 am

Thanks for that David. This was entirely foreseeable and something that TFAG has been referring to as the likely outcome for a very long time now. Our public servants continue to fail to think ahead and where things are going wrong as in this case to take measures to ensure that they are steered in the right direction. Residents should be aware that TFAG will be submitting its objections on your behalf in the next day or so; that SPC are meeting tonight to frame their response. 1/2

Posted by: Peter Boros | 21/07/2021 10:11 am