LEADING councillors have stood by the controversial decision to release five areas of land for development after they rejected a set of proposals put forward by a review committee.

Protestors were successful in having the decision to release the reserve sites called-in last week, after many residents and councillors disputed the decision of the eight Wycombe District Council cabinet members.

Following this verdict, the WDC Improvement and review commission put forward five recommendations, but the cabinet members voted not to accept each of those, and upheld their original decision.

The decision affects the five former reserve sites, Slate Meadow, Gomm Valley and Ashwells, Abbey Barn South and North and Terriers Farm.

Recommendations included the suggestions of bring forward “robust” district-wide infrastructure plans before releasing the reserve sites.

Seven of the cabinet voted to reject this recommendation, while Julia Adey, cabinet member for community, voted against the cabinet’s proposal not to accept the commission’s advice.

The other four recommendations were all rejected unanimously by the cabinet.

In response to the proposal on infrastructure, cabinet member for planning and sustainability, Cllr Neil Marshall, said infrastructure needs will be considered on an individual basis.

He said: “As a cabinet we are committed to fully assessing the infrastructure impacts of the reserve sites and to work with the community, infrastructure providers, and developers to secure the right package of improvements.

“As has been highlighted by the cabinet member for planning and sustainability to the Improvement and Review Commission in response to the reasons for the call in, we cannot expect or indeed require new development to deal with all existing infrastructure issues but we can look to new development to address the impacts of the new development.

“If the sites come forward individually, the infrastructure needs require of that development will also be considered individually, in the light of individual planning applications.

“By releasing the sites together, the impacts can be considered collectively, ensuring that wider implications can be better taken into account, and ensuring that those implications are built in to any planning applications that then come forward.”

Leader of the council, Cllr Richard Scott also reminded other councillors and residents that the five sites had been ‘reserved for development, not from future development’.

He said: “As said in the cabinet meeting on October 20, this is an extremely difficult decision for us to take and that decision has not changed and this cabinet understands the release of the reserve sites is a very controversial decision for the people living near them.”

“Sometimes though as a cabinet we have to make difficult decisions and tough choices in the wider interests of the whole of the district and this matter is indeed one of those.”