SDL = Strategic Development Locations = an acronym that is being used a lot, but basically they are the areas that Wokingham Borough Council have allocated for housing development.

We need new housing as it generates jobs, give people a place to live and brings money into the area. But what we really need is SENSIBLE development. We need to improve our already over extended road system. We need to create more school places. We need decent and affordable places to live with access to leisure areas and the services we all need to stay happy and healthy.

As the plans stand, I have great concerns over some of the locations that have been chosen. Inadequate transport access and in areas that are connected to flooding, being the greatest points. The developers who want to build housing in these places will only be providing the minimum requirements. Will Wokingham Borough Council be providing the shortfall? At what cost?

Anyhow, many of us were at the SDL Meeting in the Town Hall, last Tuesday. Lots of people were standing as there clearly was a misunderstanding of the level of interest. There was lost of discussion regarding roads and transport congestion, followed by general despair over the extra 300 houses that were added and no-one had heard about up till that point.

I got to ask a question on affordable housing – as all I could see in the pictures were large detached homes. I also asked about school provision as I don’t feel enough have been planned to accommodate these extra homes and in the right places. When there is no school close by, people take to their cars, causing more road congestion.

It is also unclear how an outline plan can be drawn up for Matthewsgreen development, if they won’t finish the consultation on the relief road until the spring? More on this subject later….but right now I’d say take a look at what Prue Bray has written on this.