 New publishing schedule, but we'll stay in touch
We hope you've enjoyed reading your Arborfield major development newsletter, which has brought you the latest updates from this community every two months.
As well as sharing the latest news, we're also writing to tell you about a change in how often we'll be publishing in future.
From now on, we'll email whenever we have an important update rather than on a fixed schedule. This means you'll hear news from us sooner, rather than waiting for the next edition.
We're committed to communicating with you and promise to keep you posted on anything that might affect you, or when you have a chance to share your views.
You can subscribe to our other Wokingham Borough Connect newsletters on subjects like traffic and travel, sport, leisure and health, rubbish and recycling and much more by pressing the button below.
 District centre plans updated before submission
Following Crest Nicholson's exhibition of plans for a district centre at Arborfield Green in April (pictured above), we've had further talks with the developer and they've made a few improvements.
The scheme still includes a supermarket and smaller shops, a square, community centre, pub and green space with paths and allotments, but the proposed layout and access have changed slightly including new pedestrianised areas.
We understand Crest will offer residents a chance to comment before it submits a planning application to us. The development is acceptable in principle as part of an outline consent we gave for housing in this area, with the finer details to be agreed.
Crest is required to provide this as a condition of its planning permission, as well as restoring the former infirmary stables on the site and opening this historic monument up for community use.
Pitches and other amenities also taking shape
The developer will also provide, through a separate application, a new pavilion at Arborfield Green cricket ground to replace the outdated one plus new cricket and football pitches, allotments, a multi-use games area and two play areas.
This project has been held up by the coronavirus pandemic, which caused financial uncertainty among prospective tenants at the district centre. We know you've been waiting a long time so we're doing everything we can to push it forward.
To ask about leasing a shop unit, email community@arborfieldgreen.co.uk. Additionally, a tenant could soon be confirmed for the former Crest Nicholson sales unit off Biggs Lane and we'll keep you updated on this.
 Getting around your community
Traffic-free link to Wokingham comes closer
As you may know, we're building a mostly traffic-free route from Arborfield Cross to Cantley Park in Wokingham town.
The latest section of this greenway opened at Woosehill Meadows last month and we're about to start the next phase at Coombes Lane and Coles Lane near Barkham.
When finished, this will complement the existing California Way greenway from the new development at Arborfield to Finchampstead Baptist Centre and California Country Park. We'll keep you informed as this progresses.
Roundabout set to bloom into life
Crest Nicholson is also about to start planting up the roundabout at the western end of Nine Mile Ride Extension where it joins the A327 Eversley Road.
This was due to take place in the spring and we're pleased to hear that the work is finally set to go ahead with a mix of low-level plants like hedging and flowers.
Residents living near the site have been asking about this for some time and we hope they - along with anyone passing the roundabout - will appreciate the transformation.
Biggs Lane toucan crossing
We're pleased to confirm that the new permanent crossing on Biggs Lane, which Crest Nicholson will be providing, will be a "toucan" crossing allowing cyclists to cross separately alongside pedestrians.
This will make it easier for residents to travel actively, including pupils attending the nearby Farley Hill Primary School, which is a key priority for us across the borough as we strive to combat air pollution and the climate emergency.
The crossing should be ready before Christmas, which we know is later than some of you had hoped but we assure you the current temporary crossing, which Crest is also providing, is just as safe until then.
Roads improved around Arborfield
We've been improving the roads around Arborfield village and Arborfield Cross under the final phase of the Observer Way relief road project.
This includes speed limit reductions, a filter restricting through traffic on School Road and other changes aimed at reducing vehicle speeds.
We're aware of local concerns about some features and would like to assure you that they went through two stages of road safety auditing before being installed, including site visits by independent auditors.
Now that the work has been carried out, the auditors will return for a third inspection alongside a police officer with road safety training and they will recommend changes if they believe any are needed.
We're also planning further planting in the area soon as part of the scheme.
 Housing proposal gets go-ahead
We've approved detailed plans to build 73 new homes on land off Biggs Lane, as part of a wider outline permission we already granted for housing in the area.
Following feedback from the community, which we relayed to the developer, it has been redesigned to meet the standard of other housing in the area, to address concerns about overlooking and to include more affordable units.
The scheme, consisting mostly of two- and three-bedroom homes, now meets our requirement for at least 35 per cent of new housing in this new community to be affordable. Some 20 per cent of homes on this site will be affordable and the applicant will pay a sum for the remainder to be built elsewhere.
We have since received a detailed application for 60 new homes in the Hogwood Farm area, off Nine Mile Ride extension to the south of the Bohunt School site, and will decide this in due course.
A further application for the Hogwood Farm area is expected to follow soon.
 Nature park should take shape soon
We're still working with Crest Nicholson to finalise the design of a new nature park near West Court at Hogwood Farm, immediately north-east of the existing Finchwood Park off Sheerlands Road (pictured above).
This has been in the pipeline for a while but we're hoping to wrap up the design process soon. Once it's built, we'll take over managing it alongside Finchwood Park, which was built by Cala Homes.
The developers must provide new green space under legal agreements secured when we gave planning permission for housing.
For more about nature parks across our borough, including photographs and directions, visit the Thames Basin Heaths Partnership website - and for other green spaces including our country parks, see our countryside site.
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