 Welcome
Welcome to the first edition of your relaunched Arborfield major development newsletter, which will come to you on Tuesday evenings every eight weeks.
We’ll keep you in touch with the latest goings-on in your neighbourhood, including fun events for all the family and the arrival or improvement of parks, roads, schools, sports grounds and other amenities – many of which are secured through funding from developers building new homes in the area.
Our Wokingham Borough Connect email newsletters cover a range of topics, from local event listings to the latest on rubbish and recycling and much more. You can sign up using the button below.
 School moves to modern new home
The new Farley Hill Primary School at Arborfield Green has been officially opened by the Mayor of Wokingham Borough.
Cllr Keith Baker MBE cut the ribbon to officially open the new school at a ceremony alongside headteacher Emma Clarke. He thanked everyone involved in the project for completing it in time for the new school year and then took a tour.
The school has moved from its old site in Farley Hill village to new premises with classrooms for up to 30 pupils, design and food technology areas and digital tools like interactive screens. It now has space to expand for more than 600 pupils.
It also boasts a FIFA-standard 3G artificial pitch which may be used by the community outside of school hours.
Construction was funded by developer contributions as part of our four major new communities at Arborfield, Shinfield and North and South Wokingham, which includes investment of £98million in new schools.
Land for a second primary school is also earmarked at Arborfield. The Bohunt secondary school opened on the new development in September 2016.
 Wildlife bridge wins green award
A new road near Arborfield has scooped an industry award for an innovative “green” bridge that helps animals move safely through the countryside.
Observer Way, a 2.3km bypass which opened about a year ago, includes a bridleway crossing east of Swallowfield Road with features providing a safe route for wildlife.
Now it has won the Innovation category of this year's Construction Industry Research and Information Association BIG Biodiversity Challenge Awards, which celebrate projects that help wildlife and habitats.
The relief road, which diverts traffic around Arborfield and Arborfield Cross, has a wooden fence guiding bats in flight to nearby woodland until new planting has grown and tunnels for animals like mice and rabbits. Ecologists will monitor its effectiveness and share findings with the industry.
The bridge was commissioned by us, designed by Stantec and built by contractor Balfour Beatty and engineering partner Scape. It was funded by contributions from housing developers, the Department for Transport and the Thames Valley Berkshire Local Enterprise Partnership.
Observer Way is part of the council’s £124 million major new roads scheme and was built to accompany the major development at Arborfield Green, where about 3,500 homes are now being built as part of a carefully planned new community.
 Food store opens with more to follow
A shop has opened on the former Bramshill Hunt pub site in Arborfield Green after we granted planning permission.
The Co-op launched at a newly-built unit in Bramshill Close earlier in the autumn and sits on land leased from developers building new homes in the area. It has created about 15 jobs.
The pub shut before the Co-op submitted its application and was becoming derelict so residents were concerned that it was attracting anti-social behaviour.
As one of our major new developments, Arborfield Green is also set to benefit from a new district centre with a food store and other shops, offices, restaurants and cafés.
It will be built by developer Crest Nicholson as a condition of their consent to build about 2,000 of the 3,500 new homes allocated to this new community.
We’ve given permission for the centre in principle and now await a more detailed proposal which should come forward next year.
 Road opens after essential works
The junction of Park Lane and Nine Mile Ride fully reopened on October 30 after a period of closure.
This work, carried out by contractor Balfour Beatty, formed part of our Nine Mile Ride extension project to improve access to new housing in Arborfield Green.
It was necessary to allow the teams to safely install new drainage, a gas supply line, water pipes and communications infrastructure.
Closure and diversion signs have now been removed and everyone associated with the project would like to thank residents for their patience.
The northern half of the extension is finished and once the southern half is completed, which should happen by April next year, there will be a new link between the A327 Eversley Road to the west and the Park Lane junction to the east.
 New homes in the pipeline
Bloor Homes is now building 126 new homes on a 3.5-hectare plot to the north of Nuffield Road and Waterman's Lake in Arborfield Green.
We approved the full details of this scheme, including its layout, appearance and landscaping, over the summer.
As a condition of planning consent, the developer must submit a landscape management plan and explain how it will provide electric vehicle charging points.
It must also liaise with a neighbouring landowner to secure a pedestrian and cycle link to land to a green corridor immediately to the west of the site.
 Sports facilities to get a boost
We’re now in talks with Crest Nicholson about the provision of a new pavilion at Arborfield Green cricket ground.
This would be built as a condition of the developer’s planning permission for homes in the area and would replace a similar, outdated building on the site off Tope Road.
The proposal would also include new cricket pitches as well as football pitches and a refurbishment of the tennis courts on the recreation ground to the north.
This should finish at some point next year.
 Green space adopted
We’ve taken over management of the public green space at Finchwood Park, off Sheerlands Road, which has been built in stages over the past three years or so by Legal & General Homes.
The developer was expected to provide this as a condition of building new housing at Arborfield Green.
The beauty spot, which lies on part of the former Hogwood Farm site, includes new woodland planting with native trees and shrubs, native hedgerows and smaller trees, wetland habitats and a wildlife pond with aquatic planting.
It has footpaths mown into grass or surfaced with sustainable materials as well as viewing points and seating areas. It has been open to the public for some time and is proving popular.
 Sculptures honour military heritage
Three life-sized sculptures of horses have been installed near the Waterman’s Gate development off Biggs Lane in Arborfield Green.
The trio, named Icarus, Sports Horse Mare and Youngster, were shaped in iron resin by artist Amy Goodman in honour of the new community's military past as the former Arborfield Garrison.
This was originally run by the Army Remount Service, which supplied the armed forces with horses, and included an infirmary stables which still stand today and are now a scheduled monument.
The garrison more recently served as a depot for the Royal Electrical and Mechancial Engineers before the Ministry of Defence vacated it in 2015.
Amy's sculptures were unveiled over the summer by Cllr Keith Baker, the Mayor of Wokingham Borough, who attended alongside former REME members.
The artwork was funded by Crest Nicholson, which is building housing locally. A future use for the stables, which will preserve the historic asset, is yet to be decided but they have been protected from the elements until then.
|
