Minor changes look set to be made to a development for more than 300 homes between Wokingham and Bracknell.
The principles of this new settlement were approved by Wokingham Borough Council’s planning committee in May 2021 for the south Wokingham major development of more than 1,400 homes.
A series of planning applications have been submitted, determining the housing mix, layout and the specifications of the development.
A detailed application for Parcel R11 of the south Wokingham major development is currently being considered by the council.
This piece of land is off Waterloo Road, south of the Eastern Gateway roundabout that connects Waterloo Road with William Heelas Way.
The land will contain a total of 343 homes in a mixture of sizes, ranging from one-bedroom apartments to five-bedroom houses.
A total of 35% will be deemed as being “affordable”, with 70 homes being made available at social rent levels, 14 at affordable rent levels with 36 homes being made available through shared ownership.
The plans have been submitted by Kier Property Developments, which has permission to develop parcel R11.
Wokingham borough council officers have conducted a thorough examination of the preliminary plans, and have made recommendations for suitable changes to the project.
Kier Property Developments has made design adjustments that are listed in a document by Nexus Planning. The adjustments made include the reconfiguration of three homes due to privacy concerns for future occupants.
An officer’s comment states: “The relationship between these dwellings is unacceptable in terms of privacy due to overlooking.”
They therefore suggested removing a house and reorganising the layout.
Instead, Kier has repositioned the homes in a row together to address the overlooking concern.
There is also a question over whether undercroft parking for flats provided within the development require electronic gating and key fob access in a suggestion made by a ‘designing out crime’ specialist.
However, the agent pointed out that a condition of the approval of the south Wokingham major development was that no gates or barriers shall be built on any shared vehicular access.
The agent argued the shared parking zones would be appropriately screened by flats built above the parking areas.
You can view the series of adjustments by searching application number 250678 in Wokingham borough council’s planning portal.
