Controversy around a huge planned housing development on Maidenhead Golf Course has led a councillor to quit the ruling party – saying he was ‘sickened’ by his former colleagues.
Councillor Kashmir Singh confirmed he had left the Liberal Democrats – who lead the Royal Borough of Windsor Maidenhead Council – to join the Labour Party on Wednesday, August 6.
The Riverside councillor is reported to have blamed his party’s claim that it can’t block a 1,500-home development on Maidenhead Golf Course. Challenging his party last month he said the council ‘should not be held hostage’ by a contract between the council and developers.
More than 2,000 people signed a petition calling on the Royal Borough of Windsor and Maidenhead Council to stop a large new housing estate being built on the golf course. But the council says it is locked in a legal agreement with the developers Cala Homes to deliver the project.
Liberal Democrat council leaders said they had campaigned against the plans when they were put in place by the former Conservative leadership.
The Conservative council designated the golf course – which the council owns – as a site for housing in its 15 year Local Plan for development in the borough in 2022. It also signed a development agreement with Cala Homes in 2018.
Liberal Democrat councillor Adam Bermange – responsible for planning – said he had ‘spent countless hours’ trying to find a way out of the contract but that the council was ‘well and truly bound'.
The council also said it had received legal advice from ‘a respected KC’ that the golf course is not ‘open space'. It says that the fact the land was bought by Maidenhead District Council’s mayor in 1953, it has always been a private members’ club and ‘has never been in public use or used as public open space'.
But councillor Singh disagreed. Speaking at a full council meeting on July 17 he said: “It has always been an open space – just somebody designating that it isn’t will not change that.”
Councillor Singh reported the mayor at the time had said the course ‘would be for the exclusive use of the public and future generations of Maidenhead.’
He said: “We should not be held hostage by the previous Conservative administration’s shenanigans.
“If land is in the greenbelt, it’s greenbelt today, it is in the future. Just because somebody’s changed the goalpost doesn’t make any difference.”
In a statement released by Riverside Lib Dems, council leader Simon Werner said he was ‘really sad’ councillor Singh had left their party but paid tribute to him.
Councillor Werner said: “It is with deep regret I have to announce that Kashmir Singh has left the Liberal Democrats. Having worked with Kashmir and consider him a good friend I am really sad.
“I also thought of him as a potential mayor. I wish him well in his future endeavours.”
The Observer has contacted councillor Singh for comment.
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