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Oct update
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This is a new section of the site which has been
opened to give information on the Village Design Statement (VDS).
Information will be available here and also in the Newsletter. |
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*** The VDS
has gone through a number of stages of development, the latest (February
07) is available as a PDF document, and looks very professional. ***
It is
available for download; the file is a
little over 6MB. If you do not have broadband it will take
approximately 35 minutes to download the whole document. |
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| The following is an
introduction to the aims of the VDS Group, a full copy of the VDS is
included on a separate page. Updates will be added to the site as
the VDS goes through stages of development. |
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The
earlier drafts and updates have been left on the site in case anyone
wishes to follow the progress from the start.
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Barkham
residents are invited to give their views about the character of the
village at an Open Day on 8th July.
A
group of local residents have spent the last six months developing a
Village Design Statement for Barkham, and it is now your chance to have
your say.
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Village
Design Statements (VDS) set out design guidance to help affect how new
building blends into villages, so that it enhances and amplifies the
unique character of the local area.
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A
VDS cannot stop development, it is about the character of any that does
takes place. Having an adopted VDS for Barkham will not increase or
decrease the amount of development in our community. However it will
require the appearance of any developments (including extensions) to be in
character with our village scene such that they enhance Barkham’s
individual nature.
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Once
the VDS has been adopted by Wokingham District Council, it becomes a
supplementary planning document and has to be taken into account by the
Planning Department when making decisions about Planning Applications. It
will also have material weight at Planning Appeals.
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So that the VDS can be formally adopted, it is
essential that it has been subject to very wide consultation in the local
community. For this reason, it is necessary that as many residents as
possible attend the Open Day. Comments in writing are also welcome and can
be sent to |
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How
the VDS Group Worked
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The
group walked the entire parish, undertaking surveys and creating a
photographic record. The group then analysed and debated the initial
findings. From this work, a draft VDS was prepared. The draft describes
the whole of Barkham and includes provisional Design Guidelines. A
shortened version of the guidelines is shown opposite. The full version of
the document can be viewed on www.barkham.org.uk.
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The
Key Findings
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Properties
in Barkham generally sit in the landscape, rather than on
the landscape. This has been achieved by
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a)
Relatively low density
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b)
Variety of building designs
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c)
The green canopy of trees
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d)
Setting of properties back
from the road
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e)
One or two storeys only
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f)
Predominance of dormer style
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These
characteristics considerably enhance the rural nature of Barkham.
Consequently respect for these features, in accordance with the Barkham
VDS Design Guidelines opposite, should be encouraged with the aim of
preserving the rural nature of the parish. |
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