Back to Development Watch Home Page
Submission Core Strategy 2006-2026
Arborfield Garrison Strategic Development Location (SDL)
Arborfield Garrison SDL and Barkham
Comments to Wokingham Borough Council
Extracts from Submission Core Strategy
Wokingham Borough Council (WBC) has now published its Submission Core Strategy for the Local Development Framework 2006-2026. The public consultation period runs from 20th August to 1st October 2008.
As regards housing, WBC's strategy is to provide most housing growth within a few key locations that, either already have a significant range of facilities and services, or will have them when development has taken place.
Accordingly, WBC is proposing four key strategic locations to accommodate the majority of the required housing:
Arborfield Garrison – 3,500 homes
South of Wokingham - 2,500 homes
North Wokingham - 1,500 homes
South of M4 – Shinfield/Spencers Wood/Three Mile Cross – 2,500
For an overview of the Submission Core Strategy, go to the below WBC webpage and download the document 'Core Strategy - blueprint for future development':
http://www.wokingham.gov.uk/environment/planning/ldf/core-strategy
To download the complete Submission Core Strategy, go to:
Arborfield Garrison Strategic Development Location (SDL)
● The SDL will comprise the existing Garrison site to the north and the Hogwood Farm site to the south, with 176 acres of Suitable Alternative Natural Greenspace (SANG) at the southern tip of the SDL on account of the Thames Basin Heaths Special Protection Area for rare birds.
● The A327 will constitute the western boundary of the SDL.
● 950 homes will have been completed by 2016 and 3,400 by 2026. The housing supply rate is projected to be 50 in 2011-2012, 150 in 2012-2013 and 250 per annum thereafter.
● The infrastructure which needs to be provided to achieve a sustainable community includes two new primary schools and a secondary school with at least 1,200 places.
● It seems that Nine Mile Ride is to become a major transport route, connecting Bracknell and Finchampstead to the SDL and Reading, with twin extensions linking it to the A327 at the northern and southern ends of the SDL.
Arborfield Garrison SDL and Barkham
● The Submission Core Strategy states that the SDL should remain physically separate from the settlements of Arborfield Cross, Barkham Hill and Finchampstead North.
● Per Wokingham Borough News, the SDL needs careful planning to ensure the identity of Arborfield, Barkham and Finchampstead is retained.
● There are to be improvements to transport capacity along routes towards Wokingham (and elsewhere), including accessibility by non-car transport modes (e.g. buses, cycling) along the B3349 (Barkham Road).
● It seems that traffic from the SDL will be precluded from direct access to Barkham Ride/Barkham Street as it is proposed that Commonfield Lane should be closed to general traffic to create a segregated bus and cycle priority route to Wokingham via Barkham and the B3349 (Barkham Road).
● Per Wokingham Borough News, the Council's objective is to reduce infill building (e.g. back garden development) by providing most housing growth within a few key locations that either already have a significant range of facilities and services, or will have them when development has taken place.
● Barkham is categorised as one of nine 'limited development locations' with a limited range of facilities where significant development is not considered appropriate.
● The housing supply quota over the plan period for the nine 'limited development locations' is 100 dwellings.
● Per CP9, development proposals for 'limited development locations' generally should not exceed 25 dwellings.
Comments to Wokingham Borough Council
Public comments should be received by 5:00 p.m. on Wednesday 1st October. Comments can be:
(a) Submitted online at:
www.wokingham.gov.uk/ldf/corestrategy-comments
(b) Emailed to: corestrategy@wokingham.gov.uk
(c) Faxed to: (0118) 974 6385
(d) Sent to: Wokingham Borough Core Strategy,
Land Use and Transport Policy,
Policy and Partnerships,
Wokingham Borough Council,
PO Box 157, Shute End,
WOKINGHAM,
Berkshire, RG40 1WR.
Any comments should relate to the soundness of the Core Strategy, as explained in paragraph 1.6 of the document. The concept of 'soundness' is expanded in paragraphs 4.36-4.38 and 4.44-4.47 of the Government's Planning Policy Statement 12 on Local Spatial Planning, which may be accessed at:
http://www.communities.gov.uk/documents/planningandbuilding/pdf/pps12lsp.pdf
See also paragraphs 1.7-1.9 of the Submission Core Strategy about data protection.
Extracts from Submission Core Strategy
2.69 LPS2 highlights that people within Arborfield Garrison travel further to reach facilities and services than those in other parts of the Borough. If the military decided to simply vacate the site and dispose of their accommodation on the market, this would have serious implications for achieving sustainable development due to the lack of facilities available (Appendix 3). The Council and military recognise the opportunities of the Arborfield Garrison site for delivering necessary development in the borough, which also address the area’s poor sustainability. To secure the sustainability of this SDL, at least two new primary schools and a secondary school would be built in this location, together with a children’s centre and youth facilities. It will also include new shops. The development at the scale proposed will require substantial investment in transport infrastructure. By careful planning the development will be separate from other existing settlements.
2.83 Barkham amongst 'limited development locations' with limited range of facilities where significant development not considered appropriate.
3.11 Limited development to support the vitality of existing local services will be appropriate in 'limited development locations'.
3.21 As Arborfield Garrison will become surplus to defence needs by 2012, there are significant opportunities for the provision of a sustainable community here during the plan period. Therefore policy CP19 designates an SDL based upon the military training site with adjoining land. The provision of appropriate educational, community, faith and retail facilities together with adequate accessible public transport services and transport infrastructure will improve the sustainability of the Garrison and adjoining areas and therefore resolve the existing problems within the area. It is therefore vital that the development brief includes an appropriate timetable for the delivery of these facilities and services in tandem with residential development.
3.31 The Housing Site Allocations DPD will consider the opportunities for small scale allocations/additions to [limited development locations], having regard to the range and accessibility of facilities and services available which would contribute towards sustainable communities. Unless significant enhancements occur in the plan period, it is unlikely that the proportion of development within these settlements will continue in line with that observed since 2001 (see Appendix 3). There may be opportunities for small scale proposals meeting local needs for affordable housing.
CP9 - Scale and location of development proposals
In the limited development locations of Arborfield Cross, Barkham Hill, Charvil, Finchampstead, Hurst, Riseley, Sindlesham, Sonning and Swallowfield, development proposals should generally not exceed 25 dwellings.
4.78/Table 4.3
Housing completions at Arborfield Garrison should reach 950 by 2016.
New dwellings in 'limited development locations' should total 50 in 2011-2016 and 50 in 2021-2016.
CP19 – Arborfield Garrison Strategic Development Location
Within the area identified at Arborfield Garrison, a sustainable, well designed mixed use development will be delivered including:
(1) Phased delivery of around 3,500 dwellings, of which at least 35% will be affordable under policy CP5;
(2) Employment;
(3) Appropriate retail facilities;
(4) Social and physical infrastructure (including provision of at least two new primary schools and a secondary school, together with children’s centre and youth facilities);
(5) Measures to maintain separation from Arborfield Cross, Barkham Hill and Finchampstead North;
(6) Necessary measures to avoid and mitigate the impact of development upon the Thames Basin Heaths Special Protection Area including at least 71.4 ha of Suitable Alternative Natural Greenspace;
(7) Improvements to transport capacity along the A327 (to both the M3 and Reading) and routes towards Bracknell and Wokingham (including the extension of Nine Mile Ride to the A327); and
(8) Measures to improve accessibility by non-car transport modes along the A327, B3030, B3349 and B3430 corridors especially on the routes to Bracknell, Reading, Winnersh and Wokingham.
4.83 At present Arborfield Garrison is a major employment location and it will be necessary to consider any impacts of its closure in the context of the employment situation in the borough as a whole (see policy CP16). Work undertaken by Children’s Services indicates that a long term development of 3,500 dwellings will require at least 2 two form entry primary schools. A secondary school of at least 1,200 places will be necessary at an early stage in the development.
Appendix 3. Spreadsheet summarising population, building completions and local amenities across the district.
Appendix 6. Expected housing land supply for Arborfield Garrison SDL is 50 houses in 2011-2012, 150 in 2012-2013 and 250 houses per annum thereafter (see spreadsheet).
Appendix 7. Additional Guidance for the Development of Strategic Development Locations
Pages 93-97 relate to Arborfield SDL, including concept rationale, concept statement, infrastructure, key design principles, planning obligations.
A7.5 Landscape Structure
(a) The development should remain physically separate from the settlements of Arborfield Cross, Barkham Hill and Finchampstead North.
A7.7 (c) Commonfield Lane should be closed to general traffic to create a segregated bus and cycle priority route to Wokingham via Barkham and the B3349 (Barkham Road).
A7.7 (h) Two new primary routes, both of which should be bus priority corridors, should be provided:
(i) A new primary route linking Nine Mile Ride at the eastern edge to the A327 in the north of the site should be created, to connect from Finchampstead North to the development and on towards Reading.
(ii) A further route should continue Nine Mile Ride westwards to a new junction with the A327, close to Farley Hill, to serve the southern half of the site.
There are to be improvements to transport capacity along the A327 and a possible strategic link road between the A327 and A33 to improve access to Junction 11 of the M4 motorway, as well as along routes towards Bracknell and Wokingham, including measures to improve accessibility by non-car transport modes (e.g. buses, cycling).
A7.9 Community and social
(a) At least 35% of homes must be affordable in accordance with Policy CP5.
(b) Two two-form entry primary school and one secondary school for 1200 pupils should be provided during an early phase of the development.
(c) A new district centre and two neighbourhood centres should include a range of community uses including primary health care, a library, a children’s centre, youth facilities and multi-purpose community buildings.
Page 98 Plan of Arborfield SDL. There is a clearer plan as the first downloadable document on Page 1 of below WBC web page:
Home Page BVRA History Development Watch Parish Council Diary Social Activities Help Needed Design Statement Links Images