MORE THAN 1,600 homes have been approved by the borough council’s planning committee, marking the next big step for Wokingham’s local plan.
This evening, the committee voted in favour of a range of proposals that will expand Wokingham south of the railway line.
The proposals form part of the borough council’s South Wokingham Strategic Development Location.
Thousands of homes to come
The planning committee approved two proposals which will see roughly 1,600 dwellings built on land bordered by Waterloo Road to the east and Finchampstead Road to the west.
Despite concern this could cause Wokingham and Bracknell to merge into an “urban sprawl”, the committee voted unanimously in favour of the new homes.
They will comprise 35% affordable housing, and have been described by council officers as “a high quality, sustainable extension to Wokingham”.
Alongside the houses, there will be public open space, play areas and landscaping.
Support for the new community
A new, two-form primary school will also be built off Luckley Road, accompanied by a new Local Centre and two areas of Suitable Alternative Green Space (SANGs).
Included within the proposal for new homes, the facilities were also unanimously approved by the committee.
Highway extension to go ahead
The second phase of the South Wokingham Distributor Road (SWDR) has also been approved.
Five committee members voted in favour of the new highway, and three against.
This means the SWDR will now extend from Waterloo Road, through the new housing development, to the roundabout near the Tesco superstore on Finchampstead Road.
It will be flanked by a 3-metre wide, combined footpath and cycleway.
This prompted some concern from residents, committee members and Wokingham Active Travel Community Hub (WATCH), who said more support for active travel is needed.
But borough council officers said changing the design to separate the footpath and cycleway would be “extremely disruptive”, and a suggestion from Councillor Stephen Conway to defer the proposal was rejected by the committee.
The first phase of the SWDR, William Heelas Way, is already in place. Once the entire route is completed, it will link London Road in the north to Finchampstead Road in the south.
Homes to be demolished for roundabout
Two properties will also be flattened to install a new, larger roundabout connecting Molly Millars Lane and Finchampstead Road, to support the extended SWDR.
Questions were raised about how the roundabout, also known as the Western Gateway, will support active travel and whether the design will be safe for pedestrians and cyclists.
The committee approved the proposal, but not by a unanimous vote.
An order to implement a range of footpath changes was also unanimously approved, to further support the SWDR.
Green space galore
Land to the south of St Anne’s Manor is set to become a SANG as part of the wider development in South Wokingham, too.
The committee approved joining the 7.83 hectare site with neighbouring Buckhurst Meadows to create one larger open space.
Committee members and councillors questioned whether the site was close enough to the future South Wokingham development, but despite concerns, the committee unanimously approved the proposal.
What is the local plan?
More than 10 years ago, Wokingham Borough Council launched its local plan to outline development in the borough until 2026.
As part of the plan, it suggested building roughly 2,500 new homes in South Wokingham in the hopes of concentrating development in one location, to protect “the character” of the borough’s other towns and villages.
The proposals which were approved this evening form the second part of this South Wokingham Major Development. The first phase, north of the railway line, is already underway.
Cllr Wayne Smith, executive member for planning and enforcement, said: “With these planning applications, our vision from 2010 is nearing completion — it is the last piece of the puzzle to create four self-contained new communities, each with the right infrastructure to serve its population.
“By carefully planning the new development, we have been able to ensure developers pay for the roads, schools, parks and open spaces and community and sports facilities necessary for the new homes.”
