Wokingham

Members of the public are being invited to take a closer look at Wokingham Borough Council’s draft core strategy with a government planning inspector in March, during its official examination in public.

The debate on the document, which is a blueprint for development in the Wokingham Borough for the next two decades including homes, schools, roads, parks, shops, leisure, businesses, will start on Tuesday March 17.

The independent Wokingham examination will cover a variety of topics including ecology and landscapes, housing delivery, transport, town centres and employment opportunities and will be led by planning inspector Geoff Salter, who has been appointed by the secretary of state for communities and local government.

Throughout the examination, Mr Salter will establish whether the core strategy complies with legal requirements and if it is justified, effective and consistent with national guidelines.

Members of the public and press are more than welcome to attend the meeting, which starts at 10am at the Professional Development Centre, Reading Road, Wokingham.

The Wokingham council unveiled its draft core strategy in August and, as well as highlighting where potential infrastructure and businesses could be located, it also outlines four key housing areas where large-scale developments could take place in order to fulfil the Wokingham Borough’s house-building requirements, set out by government under the South East Plan. That number is still to be negotiated but some development is inevitable.

The four main sites are located at:

• Arborfield Garrison – 3,500 homes are proposed

• South of the M4 in Shinfield/ Spencers Wood/ Three Mile Cross – 2,500 homes are proposed

• South of Wokingham –2,500 homes are proposed

• North of Wokingham – 1,500 homes are proposed

The examination will look at these four sites in some detail as part of the discussion. It will take into account evidence submitted from the council and comments from residents sent in via the public consultation, which ran last autumn, on the core strategy as a whole and the possible housing locations.

Cllr Gary Cowan, executive member for local and regional planning, said: “The core strategy is a hugely important document as ultimately it lays out how the Wokingham Borough could look in the next 20 years.

“Residents, community groups and organisations took a lot of time submitting comments on the draft core strategy in the autumn and we have made changes to reflect those suggestions where possible. The government inspector will now look at whether the strategy can progress and become our development guide for the next 20 years. It is a significant document and the public is more than welcome to come along and hear the debate.”

The examination will run over 14 days in March and April, with one day dedicated to each proposed housing location site. The Arborfield site will be looked into on Thursday March 19; the site south of the M4 will be discussed on Friday March 20; the north Wokingham development location will be examined on Tuesday March 24 and the south Wokingham site will be looked into on Wednesday March 25. All sessions start at 10am and are open to the public and press.

Anyone wanting full details of the hearings and issues due to be examined can log on to www.wokingham.gov.uk/core-strategy where further information can be found under the examination heading.

Wokingham Borough Council