 Local Plan Update - thanks for your feedback
We've just finished consulting on a revised growth strategy for our Local Plan Update, which will outline where new housing, developer-funded community infrastructure and more should be built until 2038.
Many thanks to everyone who shared their views on the proposal, which includes a garden village of about 4,500 homes at Hall Farm/Loddon Valley between Shinfield, Arborfield and Sindlesham, as well as about 800 additional homes at existing South Wokingham major development and 2,700 or so across 46 smaller sites.
This is similar to our current Local Plan, which allocates about 13,000 homes across four major developments at Shinfield parish, the former Arborfield Garrison and North and South Wokingham. It's set to provide about £1 billion in roads, schools, public green spaces and more.
We'll go through feedback and make some amendments, subject to a range of conditions including national planning policy, then put a revised proposal before our full council for another consultation over the summer. This will be sent to a planning inspector, along with residents' comments, for independent examination.
We know not everyone is happy with the idea but we have to take new homes to meet Government requirements as well as allowing some natural growth to keep our borough vibrant, giving future generations a chance to remain local.
To find out more about the pressures we face - and what we've done to meet your needs, while trying to keep development at a reasonable, sustainable level - visit our Building Communities the Wokingham Borough Way information page.
 Millions in housing cash to benefit community
More than £84 million in contributions from developers building new homes in Wokingham borough will have been spent on new roads, schools, green spaces, leisure facilities and other vital services between April 2020 and the end of March this year.
We've secured this money through legal agreements aimed at offsetting the impact of their developments across the borough.
And it doesn't stop there as we expect to invest almost £1 billion in community infrastructure, funded by developers, over the course of our local plan. Including about £250 million on roads, £240 million on affordable housing and £100 million towards schools.
 New road opens with others nearing completion
We opened a new road on Monday (24 January) to improve access to planned new homes on our South Wokingham major development.
The Eastern Gateway connects William Heelas Way in Montague Park with a new roundabout on Waterloo Road over the railway line.
It includes a new railway bridge to replace the level crossing at Clay Lane, which will be removed, and will reduce congestion while providing a safe, high-quality route for pedestrians, cyclists and public transport.
The Eastern Gateway and William Heelas Way are part of the South Wokingham Distributor Road, which will include a new central road running westwards from the Waterloo Road roundabout and across Easthampstead Road to join Finchampstead Road near Tesco.
Access from the west will be via the Western Gateway, which we're hoping to start work on when we can. A small number of properties on the corner of Finchampstead Road and Molly Millars Lane will be demolished soon to make way for this.
Our project partner Balfour Beatty has also nearly finished building our North Wokingham Distributor Road, with the final section west of Old Forest Road due for completion very soon.
Additionally, work on the final section of the Nine Mile Ride extension near Finchampstead and Arborfield is on course to finish for an opening this summer. All these projects are part of a £250 million investment in major new roads, funded by the proceeds from new development.
 Cantley play area - coming soon
Our all new destination play area is almost ready for you...
Due to the wet weather just before Christmas period, the remaining surfacing and landscaping is now due to be undertaken over the next few weeks.
We are hoping this will be done by mid-February, right before half-term - keep your eyes peeled for updates very soon.
 Flagship leisure centre shaping up for summer
Work on our new leisure centre, library and cultural space continues with the Carnival Hub beginning to take shape ready to open in summer 2022.
It will offer a range of great facilities including swimming pools and a splash pad, spa area, a larger fitness suite, studio spaces, a four-court sports hall, cafe and a large library space.
The centre in Wokingham is being fitted out with a range of specialist equipment such as tiered bleacher seating, lighting, and sound in the main hall to make it the ideal venue to hold cultural events.
Work to make this one of the most energy-efficient leisure centres in the country continues including the installation of solar panels and air source heat pumps on the roof. If you’d like a peek inside at the progress view the gallery on our Facebook page.
 Tenants needed for new district centre
As one of our major new communities, Arborfield is set to benefit from a new district centre off Nine Mile Ride and Sheerlands Road. This will have a food store and other shops plus offices, restaurants, cafés and more.
The complex, which will be built by developer Crest Nicholson as a condition of its planning consent for about 2,000 new homes in this area, has our permission in principle and Crest should announce more details within a few months.
The developer has now started commercial discussions and any local businesses interested in taking a space should email community@arborfieldgreen.co.uk to find out more.
We know this scheme is long awaited and Crest has apologised to residents for the delay in confirming further details, as well as thanking them for their patience. It says recent events have created a challenging environment for commercial projects like this, but has promised to share more information in the coming months.
 Primary school on track to increase capacity
We're hoping to expand Farley Hill Primary School, which reopened in modern, purpose-built premises in Baston Road last September, to two forms of entry for the next academic year so that more local children can attend.
Our decision-making executive has also agreed to apply to change the school's catchment area to include the new Arborfield Green and Poperinghe Way developments.
This will be welcomed by families living on or near the major development, as Department for Education restrictions on catchment areas which proved difficult for some families applying for the 2021 intake will be eased if it gets the go-ahead.
We've asked the national Schools Adjudicator to update admissions arrangements and expect a response very soon. We're also planning to release the old school site in Farley Hill village and are yet to decide whether that will be repurposed or sold.
The new site has space for an expansion to three forms of entry when needed, with a total capacity of 600 pupils, and also boasts a FIFA-standard 3G artificial pitch which the community can use outside school hours.
It was funded by developer contributions as part of our major development strategy, which includes investment of almost £100 million in new schools.
Land for a second primary school is also earmarked at Arborfield while the Bohunt School, the borough's first new secondary in more than 50 years, opened on the new development in September 2016.
 Community centre springs back to life
The community centre at Arborfield Green is open again for bookings. We also run a pop-up library at the centre in Sheerlands Road from 9am to 1.30pm on Mondays and 9.30am to 12.30pm on Saturdays, so we hope to see you there!
It's hoped that regular events will start again soon at the venue, covid figures and official safety advice permitting. Anyone wishing to join its events committee, or find out more about the classes and sessions it hosts, should email community@arborfieldgreen.co.uk.
The centre was funded by new housing development at Arborfield, on the former Arborfield Garrison site, one of four major new communities which was allocated in our current Local Plan.
This approach, which we propose continuing in our updated Local Plan, ensures residents benefit from a wealth of high-quality infrastructure as well as a pleasant and welcoming environment to live in.
 New green space taking shape
Plans for a linear park, a length of green space connecting different areas of the Arborfield major development, are making good progress with the latest section set to open this summer.
This will run alongside Waterman's Lake, to the north of Biggs Lane, with others linking in stages to the new district centre further to the south west.
The park will offer plenty of walking and cycling opportunities, helping residents to live healthy lifestyles while improving air quality and aiding our efforts to do all we can to reduce the borough's carbon emissions to net zero by 2030.
It is being provided by Crest Nicholson, again as part of our approach of working constructively with developers to secure infrastructure.
We're still in talks with Crest about providing a new pavilion at Arborfield Green cricket ground, again as a planning condition, to replace the existing building which is nearing the end of its useful life.
This would also include new cricket and football pitches as well as new tennis courts on the nearby recreation ground, designed with input from the teams that use them, and should hopefully be completed this year.
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