Why We are here today

Since the initial phase of development at ‘Kentwood’, North Wokingham was refused last year, the project team have worked closely with the council to progress revised proposals for the site. The development is an important part of delivering the new homes and employment opportunities needed by Wokingham and outlined by the council’s Core Strategy document.

A range of issues have been discussed with Wokingham Borough Council and various stakeholders and a revised application has now been prepared to try and address comments raised by residents and councillors. Crest Nicholson would now like to understand residents’ views on this revised scheme at this public exhibition.

have your say

The exhibition today is primarily focused on the resubmission of Crest Nicholson’s proposals for development within the Kentwood Neighbourhood, a key component of the North Wokingham Strategic Development Location. We are very keen to hear what you have to say about the proposals. Please fill in a feedback form or speak to a member of the team.

The North Wokingham Consortium comprises well-established developers, Bovis Homes, Crest Nicholson, and Gleeson Land.

Our aim is to provide information about our vision for the area, in the context of Wokingham Borough Council’s emerging strategy for development, its ‘Local Development Framework’.

The exhibition aims to give you more information and find out what you think about proposals for development in North Wokingham.

Welcome

KeNTWooD FARm, ReVISeD PlANNING APPlIcATIoN

View of the site (artist impression)

Crest Nicholson is a leading developer of sustainable communities, whose mission is to be the market leader in the design and delivery of sustainable housing and mixed use communities. Crest Nicholson aims to improve the quality of life for individuals and communities, both now and in the future, by providing better homes, work places, retail and leisure spaces.Crest Nicholson places ongoing emphasis on environmentally responsible housing and the commitment to deliver truly low carbon sustainable schemes. This is evidenced by an ever increasing development portfolio.

Crest Nicholson’s contribution to the built environment has been recognised with a string of awards, reaching a pinnacle in 2007 with The Queens Award for Enterprise in Sustainable Development. This award is testament to Crest’s continued emphasis on producing high quality developments that champion the very best principles in sustainability and design. Since 2002 Crest Nicholson has won over 50 awards for various development proposals, including awards for building for life, gold standard.

iawardsPlace to live and workFinalist

Housebuilding Innovation AwardsSustainable Housebuilder of the year and Housing Innovator of the year

The Queen’s AwardsEnterpriseSustainable Development

Building for Life 2009Gold StandardCrest holds six gold standard Building For Life awards - more than any other developer.

AbouT cReST NIcholSoN

aWards

Wokingham Borough Council’s spatial framework plan (adopted October 2010)

The bIGGeR PIcTuRe

Why is development proposed here?

Wokingham Borough Council has planned for 12,460 new homes to be built in the borough by 2026. These new homes are needed because of the strong local economy, population growth and the way households are changing.

The Local Development Framework (a borough-wide planning document which sets out land for future development) envisages the creation of four new major development locations, with one of them providing around 1,500 homes, north of Wokingham.

The new homes have the opportunity to deliver new services, shops and facilities. It will also create a need for new community infrastructure, which will be planned as part of the wider development in North Wokingham.

our vision for development

The North Wokingham Consortium and Wokingham Borough Council have been discussing the two neighbourhood residential extensions in North Wokingham over the last four years.

The Council’s masterplan is based on the growth of the two existing areas of Norreys and Emmbrook, extending them into two areas to be known as Kentwood (to the east) and Matthewsgreen (to the west). These two areas consist of 810 homes and 510 homes respectively.

Detailed works have been undertaken to fully understand the site, including ecology, transport and the environment, so that a masterplan could be created that responded best to the site’s unique constraints and opportunities, delivering a high quality sustainable development.

The Phase One proposals reflect the council’s masterplan, and provide detail on how the first phase of development could look.

north Wokingham Consortium Commitments

In bringing forward the delivery of phased developments in the North Wokingham Strategic Development Location the wider Consortium is committing to:

Providing good quality homes, which add to the market town character of Wokingham

The use of sustainable construction methods and technologies to reduce the carbon impact of the development

Working with WBC to identify appropriate infrastructure delivery for the site, including the direct delivery of a range of infrastructure and additional contributions where required

A new bus service to improve connectivity, serving the site, town centre and rail station, with at least a 30 minute frequency

Improvements to the facilities at the Cantley recreation ground

If required, a new primary school located on the ‘Matthewsgreen Neighbourhood’

Potential improvements to the shopping parade off Clifton Road

A network of pathways and cycleways across the development sites

Green open spaces and the planting of trees and landscaping

Sustainable Urban Drainage systems and ponds

Since the previous public consultation the Crest Nicholson project team has carefully reviewed all the feedback received throughout the pre-application consultation from both local residents and key stakeholders. This has assisted to inform the revised submission application being consulted on today.

you spoke, We listened:

At the last consultation (February 2010) a range of comments were received regarding the proposed submission. These included:

Like Dislike

Noise mitigation proposed Car parking proposed

Open space provision Proposed infrastructure delivery

Design of proposed dwellings Amount of dwellings proposed

Submitted scheme

the kentWood, phase one proposal

Crest Nicholson is preparing plans for the first phase of development in Kentwood, which would include: Outline planning consent for 274 homes on land east of Warren House Road; of which up to 35 per cent will be affordable,

subject to viability testing.

Detailed consent for acoustic landscaping to reduce noise together with additional landscaped areas and walks to form a “green corridor”.

Detailed consent for over two hectares of a Suitable Area of Alternative Natural Greenspace (‘SANG’), to serve the Phase One proposals and future development west of Warren House Road. The development will also include public open space, children’s play areas and recreational walks.

The design proposes two access points from Warren House Road and one from Keep Hatch Road, and does not preclude the future implementation of a northern distributor road, and facilitates part of it.

Crest Nicholson will contribute towards improvements to a range of social infrastructure in the area including Cantley recreation ground and St Crispin’s Secondary School. These contributions will be co-ordinated with the wider North Wokingham Consortium.

Changes to the proposed resuBmission masterplan

The Phase One proposals reflect the adopted masterplan and infrastructure requirements of WBC’s Supplementary Planning Document (SPD), consulted upon last year.

The consortium is working with the council on assessing transport infrastructure designs including highways design and costs to demonstrate delivery of infrastructure over time.

A draft S106 agreement that outlines contributions to local infrastructure and service improvements.

The inclusion of formal open space and allotments.

Changes to the layout of the Northern Distributor Road which now aligns with the preferred route in the council’s guidance document.

The funding of a new regular bus route to link the development to the town centre and railway station.

A cloSeR looK AT…KeNTWooD

New scheme

landsCape and open spaCe

Good design will be a key part of these proposals, knitting the development in with the market town and green character of Wokingham. The proposals aim to provide a mix of houses on the development, with sufficient parking and high quality, interesting design. Detailed architectural designs will be forwarded later in the planning process (2011/12). At this stage guidance on the designs and indicative illustrations will be included with the planning application.

DeSIGN, lANDScAPe AND oPeN SPAceS

The surrounding setting of the development is also an important part of the design and the following commitments are being made:

Retention and improvement of the Cantley recreation ground

Publicly accessible green space within the development

Some on-site formal open space and allotments

The creation of a soft landscaped edge to the town that will help to reinforce Wokingham’s character as a market town and provide noise mitigation from the A329(M) to the benefit of new and existing residents

Pocket parks, and areas for children to play

Amenity space and gardens

Landscape plan

TAcKlING NoRTh WoKINGhAm’S TRANSPoRT ISSueS

The North Wokingham Consortium is working closely with WBC in developing a suite of Infrastructure Business Case documents that map out how the major transport improvements will be built over the next 10-15 years. Phase One is within walking and cycling distance of the town centre, local schools, employment and leisure facilities. The Consortium, with Wokingham Borough Council, is proposing to improve the east-west linkages between the new neighbourhoods.

The new design proposes three access points from Warren House Road and Keep Hatch Road, delivering part of a northern distributor road. The development will also provide improvements to localised junctions in the north of Wokingham and along Reading Road/London Road.

Public transport provision will form a key part of the proposals, with a new bus service proposed to serve the site, town centre and rail station, with at least one every 30 minutes. Pedestrian and cycle routes will be provided, linking to the town centre and schools.

While there will be sufficient parking on site for new residents, the developers will also encourage people to consider alternatives to using their cars including:

Provision of travel information Welcome Packs and pocket guides for all new residents

Encouraging use of public transportation through incentives and information points

The introduction of a bike and car club

The promotion of car-sharing

Travel plan co-ordination steering group

Wider improvements

Wokingham Borough Council’s Core Strategy identified a number of strategic infrastructure projects to be developed in partnership, funded by infrastructure grants and financial contributions. These include:

The Reading Road to Wellington Road Station link

Ashridge Interchange (or Full Northern Distributor Road)

Coppid Beech Park & Ride (subject to the Business Case)

High quality bus corridor along the A329

The NWC will contribute towards these off site transport measures.

NexT STePS

Your feedback will contribute to the final design of the Kentwood Neighbourhood development, and is much valued:

Freephone information line: 0800 298 7040Email address: feedback@consultation-online.co.ukWebsite: www.wokinghamnorth.co.uk

Wokingham Borough Council’s website also provides more information on the masterplan and the Core Strategy for North Wokingham – www.wokingham.gov.uk

In the next few weeks, the North Wokingham Consortium (NWC) will carefully consider all comments received. Crest Nicholson then proposes to resubmit the planning application for the Phase One development to the Borough Council for determination over the spring/ summer 2011.

Professional representatives from a number of Crest Nicholson’s consultant team are available to answer your questions, including Savills (Planning), Omega Partnership (Architects), SLR (Environment) and WSP (Transport).

Please take the time to let us know what you think.

View of the site (artist impression)