Letter: West Berks Council Saw the Light

Published on: 7 Feb, 2026
Updated on: 7 Feb, 2026

From Brian Quinn

Penny Post reporter

We’ve been covering this story in another “WBC”, not Waverley but West Berkshire Council, since 2020. After a lot of pressure, and an election, West Berkshire saw the light and reversed the policy, recognising the charges were unethical.

That was two years ago. If what West Berks did was illegal, as has been maintained by Waverley Council, then the government is taking its time about jumping on them. Indeed, the minister recently referred to West Berks’ solutions as being “good”. If anyone at Waverley wants to know how exactly this was accomplished, leader Jeff Brooks’ contact details are on the West Berks website – ask him.

I share Cllr Jane Austin’s hope that the legislation will be amended, and done so retrospectively. It would also be good to have, in future, less discretion given to planning authorities in how this is interpreted.

CIL is governed by national legislation (albeit the tax is charged and collected locally) in pursuit of national objectives to ensure infrastructure keeps pace with the development. It should therefore have national standards of compliance and exemption, rather than the capricious hotchpotch of a postcode lottery that prevails now.

I also echo Cllr Austin’s comment to campaigner Steve Dally and all the others – keep fighting. After all, it worked here in West Berkshire: why should it not do so elsewhere?

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