Councillor Nick

8 September 2026

Mortimer West End raised at Basingstoke & Deane Cabinet

I spoke at Basingstoke & Deane Borough Council's Cabinet meeting on 8 September as members considered the next steps for their Local Plan, which currently includes a proposed allocation of around 350 homes at West End Farm, Mortimer West End.

The item was introduced by Councillor Andy Konieczko , Cabinet Member for Strategic Planning and Infrastructure. The Council is proposing to move its Local Plan into the Government's new plan-making system following delays and strategic infrastructure concerns identified during the Regulation 18 process.

I asked that, for Mortimer, the reset should provide a genuine opportunity to reconsider West End Farm and the proposed scale of development, rather than simply carrying the previous allocation forward.

I highlighted three issues arising from the motion unanimously agreed by West Berkshire Council in July:

• Evidence – proper site-specific evidence on transport, healthcare, wastewater, environmental capacity and other cross-boundary impacts.
• Consistency – a clear explanation of how West End Farm compares with alternative sites when the same settlement hierarchy, spatial-strategy and strategic-constraint tests are applied.
• Delivery – no allocation adjoining West Berkshire unless the mitigation needed within West Berkshire is proportionate, deliverable, funded and secured.

In response, Councillor Konieczko assured me that, although the Regulation 18 representations will not formally carry across into the new plan-making process, the comments already received have been reviewed and will be taken into account. He stressed that the work residents, councils and others had already put into the consultation had therefore not been wasted.

He also said that he hoped the new call for sites would bring forward additional options and confirmed that the Council would be looking again at its spatial strategy.

These are useful commitments for Mortimer. They do not mean that the West End Farm proposal has disappeared, but they provide a further opportunity to test the site, its proposed scale and the alternatives against updated evidence.

📺 Watch the Cabinet discussion on the Local Plan

Basingstoke & Deane: Local Plan update

7 September 2026

Ridgeway Council plans put on hold for Government review

The Government has put its July decision to create the new Ridgeway Council on hold while it reviews local government reorganisation decisions in Oxfordshire and West Berkshire, together with 13 other areas.

Communities Secretary Angela Rayner told Parliament that the review follows updated legal advice and is intended to ensure that the process followed is robust and complies with the law. She will also consider whether the reorganisation proposals continue to meet the priorities of the Government.

For West Berkshire, this means that the Government's 16 July decision to combine West Berkshire with most of South Oxfordshire and Vale of White Horse as Ridgeway Council is now paused and being reviewed.

The previous timetable – which envisaged elections to the new Ridgeway authority in May 2027 and the new council taking over from April 2028 – can therefore no longer be regarded as settled. No replacement timetable has yet been announced.

West Berkshire Council has subsequently said it is seeking urgent clarification from the Government, including what the announcement means for local elections in May and for the reorganisation timetable. The Council has also reiterated its support for the three-council model which includes Ridgeway.

West Berkshire Council continues to operate as normal while the review is carried out. I will update this page when the Government confirms the outcome and what it means for the future timetable.

Government background: Oxfordshire and West Berkshire reorganisation

Read West Berkshire Council's statement

2 September 2026

Basingstoke & Deane proposes Local Plan reset

Basingstoke & Deane Council is proposing to move its Local Plan – which currently includes around 350 homes at West End Farm, Mortimer West End – onto the Government’s new planning system, rather than progress the existing draft towards submission later this year. The immediate trigger is unresolved water-supply constraints affecting the South East Water area of the borough; West End Farm itself is in the Thames Water supply area.

This does not mean the 350-home proposal has disappeared, but it does mean that neither the Mortimer West End site nor the scale of development – including whether it remains at 350 homes – is progressing towards possible adoption on the timetable originally proposed.

The new process will involve updated evidence, further consultation and a fresh call for sites, providing another opportunity for the impacts on Mortimer and West Berkshire – including infrastructure and services – to be properly considered before any allocation is confirmed.

Read Basingstoke & Deane’s Cabinet report: Local Plan – Next Steps

1 September 2026

Three Firs crossing complete – final path works under way

Work on the new pedestrian crossing at Three Firs roundabout has been completed, providing the highway link for the new route between Mortimer and Burghfield Common.

Stratfield Mortimer Parish Council has also confirmed that work on the remaining section near Oaken Cottage is due to begin on 2 September, with completion expected during the second week of October.

Once finished, this will provide a continuous multi-user route between the two villages for walkers, cyclists and horse riders.

Read the full Three Firs and Mortimer–Burghfield path update

30 August 2026

Updated 3 September 2026

Aldermaston Traveller site – enforcement update

There have been reports that West Berkshire Council withdrew its planning enforcement notice relating to the unauthorised Traveller site south of Reading Road, Aldermaston.

Council officers confirmed that the original notice was withdrawn because the site plan attached to it did not encompass all of the land concerned.

A replacement enforcement notice has been served.

A separate High Court injunction also relates to the site.

West Berkshire Council has now updated its enforcement appeal page to confirm the replacement notice and publish a copy of it.

29 July 2026

Three Firs crossing works confirmed for August

West Berkshire Council will begin work on a new two-stage pedestrian crossing at the Three Firs roundabout on 17 August.

The Council is delivering the highway crossing element, which will connect with the separate Mortimer-to-Burghfield Common footpath being constructed by Stratfield Mortimer Parish Council.

The work is expected to take around two weeks. Temporary traffic lights will operate throughout, and access to some nearby properties may be restricted for short periods.

Read the full update and view the crossing plan

16 July 2026

Council unanimously backs West End Farm motion

West Berkshire Council has unanimously supported my motion concerning Basingstoke & Deane Borough Council’s proposed allocation of around 350 homes at West End Farm, Mortimer West End.

West Berkshire Council had already submitted detailed representations during the Regulation 18 consultation in January. The motion allowed the elected Council as a whole to debate the issue and formally place a clear political position on record.

It calls for continued engagement with Basingstoke & Deane, proper assessment of the effects on West Berkshire’s infrastructure and services, and effective cross-boundary mitigation if the proposed allocation continues through the Local Plan process.

Read the full West End Farm update

16 July 2026

Government confirms new Ridgeway Council

The Government has confirmed that West Berkshire will join with most of South Oxfordshire and the Vale of White Horse to form a new Ridgeway Council from April 2028.

The boundary between West Berkshire and Reading will remain unchanged. Elections to a shadow authority are expected in May 2027, ahead of the new council taking responsibility for services the following year.

Of the options considered, I think Ridgeway offers the strongest basis for protecting local services, although there will be important work ahead to ensure West Berkshire and its communities retain a strong voice within the larger authority.

5 November 2025

Plan for safe refuges for pedestrians in Grazeley Green

I submitted a Members’ Bid for safe refuges along unlit, unpaved sections of the road. Although this was not funded, I’m assured the works to be delivered from the core highways budget from April 2026.

5 October 2025

West Berkshire Council rolls out waste & recycling collection changes

West Berkshire is rolling out changes to black-bin and recycling collections from 22 September 2025.