A plan for more than 100 homes has been proposed for a village which councillors say has seen development ‘skyrocket’ in the last decade.
Developers David Wilson Homes want to build 135 homes on land at Ducks Nest, south of Arborfield in the Wokingham Borough.
The site, currently used for crop farming, would also be used to create a Suitable Alternative Natural Greenspace (SANG).
The new homes would be near the new Arborfield Green development, comprised of up to 3,500 new homes.
It also includes new schools, public open space, leisure facilities and a neighbourhood centre.
Wokingham’s Conservative group has described Arborfield as having ‘significant housing development over the last decade’, with demand for local services ‘skyrocketing’.
Liberal Democrat councillor Adrian Betteridge has also criticised the delivery of the Arborfield Garrison development, where community facilities were being delivered ‘after too many years of delay’.
Planning consultants Turley say the new amenities provided by the Arborfield Garrison development would benefit the wider community.
Plans further argue it is close to Reading and Wokingham, major retail and business hubs.
Other areas on the M4 motorway are accessible.
But the closest train station, Wokingham, is 3.7 miles away from the site, giving access to Reading, London Waterloo and other areas of the Southeast.
Residents would also be able to use the Number 3 bus service which stops along Eversley Road, providing direct connections to Reading town centre, Arborfield Garrison and Wokingham town centre.
On the land available, 10.5 hectares would be used for a green space to mitigate impact on the Thames Basin Heath Special Protection Zone.
This would include a 2.3-kilometre walking route for residents to enjoy, along with a car park for visitors.
Of the homes, 40 per cent would be affordable to match standards set by Wokingham Borough Council.
They would range from one-bedroom apartments to five-bedroom houses.
Because of the nature of the application, details on the exact breakdown of the size of homes have not been given.
Turley says the ‘majority’ of existing trees and hedges would be retained, while the homes would be designed ‘sensitively’ to match the landscape.
Its planning statement says: “The proposals will deliver inclusive development that is designed to complement the surrounding character and to reflect the surrounding built form, including the adjoining Arborfield Garrison development.”
Plans have been validated by Wokingham Borough Council, and a decision is yet to be made.
Due to the scale of the plan, the decision is likely to go to Wokingham Borough Council’s planning committee, where members will make a final decision.
