Other planning (archive)

Revised Local Plan – 2022 Consultation
Details of a revised plan were approved by WBC executive in Nov 2021 and were then put for consultation. The consultation closed on 24 Jan 2022 and WBC are now in their consideration phase until Jun 2022. Further details can be found here.

In summary the revised plans included: a garden village of about 4,500 homes at Loddon Valley/Hall Farm, south of the M4 between Shinfield, Arborfield and Sindlesham, with at least 2,200 to be built by 2038, plus about 800 homes within our existing South Wokingham major development and another 2,700 or so across 46 smaller sites.

Approximately 700 of those additional 2,700 houses are proposed across 7 sites in or near Emmbrook. ERA’s response to the consultation focused on those developments and can be found here.

Specific documents from the Executive Meeting held on 12 Nov 2021 and from the consultation can be accessed below:

Draft Local Plan (Added 24/07/2020)
The Council is in the process of producing a new Local Plan to replace the existing one that runs out in 2026. As part of this process they recently consulted on designating areas of the Borough as Local Green Spaces. Under the latest revision of the National Planning Policy Framework areas meeting the certain criteria can be so designated, and as such are afforded some protection from inappropriate and unwelcome development. In response to the consultation the Association has put forward Corfield Green, Emmbrook Walk, the Lowther Road sports ground and the green spaces surrounding the Northern Distributor Road west of Old Forest Road for consideration.

Planning Application 200985 (Added 24/07/2020)
Current status: Approved

Although strictly speaking this application falls outside of our area, it is worth noting as it is for a significant development of Cantley Playing Fields. The plan includes building an artificial grass football pitch as part of improvements to the football offering at Cantley. The main features of the plan are:

  • An artificial full-sized pitch to be positioned just to the north of the existing pavilion
  • Ten grass pitches of various sizes to be provided, all with renewed drainage
  • The pavilion facilities to be to be upgraded and modernised and to include a café and a first-floor veranda
  • Additional car parking

We are told by the Council that this is to be followed at a later date by further improvements to Cantley including a complete revamp and upgrading of the children’s play area.

Planning Application 201326 (Added 24/07/2020)
Current status: Waiting a decision

This application is to build two detached houses on land adjacent to 1 Fernhill Cottages and is a replacement for the one rejected last year to build a terrace of three houses (191725). The Association’s response to this one can be viewed here.

The Redevelopment of the Hewden site on Old Forest Road
Planning permission for this site was given to Ashill Land Ltd in early 2017 and they subsequently passed it onto Bellway Homes to develop. Although we objected to the application, it was always clear that the site would be heavily developed; but we feel that we had some influence in reducing the number of dwellings. This started off at 50 including 24 flats but this was subsequently reduced to 43 including 14 flats. The two blocks at the front of the site were also reduced from four storey to three.

Planning Application 191725 (Updated 07/10/2019)
Current status: Application refused as over development and possible impact on protected tree.

This application is to build a terrace of 3 houses on the plot of land next to 1 Fernhill Cottages in Toutley Road.  Our comments on this proposal can be viewed here where it can be seen that we objected to the proposal basically on the grounds that the development was unsuitable for the site. The application was refused as over development having an adverse impact on the area, possible impact on the protected tree to the front of the site, and lack of consideration of the impact on biodiversity.

Toutley Depot (Added 07/10/2019)
At the last Community Forum in July the Council announced that it intended revamping their Toutley Depot to replace the buildings. This was because they are in a bad state of repair and the Council wished to replace them with some which would be more appropriate to the current requirements of their four contractors who operate from the site. They also promised to keep us up to date as their plans evolved. To this end we recently had a meeting with the lead officer for the project where he explained that the latest thinking is to build two single storey office blocks and a new car park on the current car park and open space to the west of the current buildings. Once these were in operation they would then progressively clear the rest of the site to the east and install covered storage areas for the four contractors, as well as external storage areas and parking for the utility and works vehicles. There would also be a circular building in a corner of the site for road salt storage. It is intended to retain as many of the trees on the site as possible, particularly those along its southern perimeter, and the office blocks would be orientated to achieve this.

We have been reassured by the Council that their plans are simply to modernise the facilities on the site and do not include any intention of intensifying the use of it by moving other contractors/service providers onto it. However, we would point out that, with the thousands of houses being built in the Borough, there will inevitably be an increase in movements of vehicles such as refuse trucks and road sweepers to and from the Depot.

The Council are looking to raise a planning application in November, and have promised to keep residents informed of developments with a leaflet drop to the houses in the immediate area.

Planning Application 192477 (updated 04/02/2020)
Current status: Refused

This is an application to build two semi-detached 3 bedroom houses as a ”tandem” development in the back garden of 21 Emmbrook Road. Access to the houses would be via a drive way down the side of the existing building. We have objected to this development on the grounds that it fails to comply with the Council’s guidelines for this type of development, and road safety due to its proximity to the traffic lights controlling traffic flow under the railway bridge.

Planning Application 192897 (updated 04/02/2020)
Current status: Approved

This application concerns the artificial football pitch currently being built on the playing field of the Emmbrook School, and is for the approval of the Noise Management Plan proposed for it.