The consultation for what has been described as “.. a transformative new housing development” that could bring 21 affordable homes to Wokingham ends this week.
A large number of objections to the scheme, planned by Wokingham borough council, have already been made.
The application is for land near the junction of Wellington Road and Station Road, adjacent to Park Avenue.
Wokingham Today recently revealed how the site is home to a rare tree that has been the subject of a tree protection order for many years.
Wokingham borough council said: “We’ve submitted a planning application for the site, with the aim for construction to start next summer and finish later in 2027 if permission is granted.
“The site, previously earmarked for office use, has been reallocated for residential development in our emerging Local Plan due to a surplus of office space and a growing need for affordable housing.
“Town centre sites are particularly needed so residents can access services easily.
We’re proposing that all 21 homes be provided as affordable housing, far more than the 30% minimum typically required. Most will be one-bed flats, with a few two-bed properties.
“They’ll all be social rented and managed by us, and will be allocated to priority groups in line with our housing need policies.”
A number of objections cite the fact that the proposed development will be a substantially larger building than any locally, which are 2 story houses with gardens. They also state that the council’s guidance is that developments should be in keeping with the surrounding buildings.
One objector wrote: “This clearly will not be in keeping both in appearance and scale.”
Others note the proposed car-free development will result in nuisance parking locally, both during and following the development’s construction.
Just one of more than 50 submissions is in support of the plans.
The executive committee of the Wokingham Society supported the application, saying: “It addresses the concerns that were expressed in relation to earlier plans, particularly in respect of the potential risks relating to vehicular entry and exit from Park Road, the provision for genuinely affordable housing, and the bulk, mass and lack of local identity of previous designs.”
The consultation ends on September 5.
You can see more information by searching application 251621 on Wokingham borough council’s planning portal.
