Mac Mic Group secures opportunity to promote a 60-acre site near Wokingham
Mac Mic Group’s South East Strategic Land team has secured a 60-acre site that could deliver up to 450 homes in Arborfield, near Wokingham in Berkshire.
Part of the site is previously developed and sits close to an area identified for growth by Wokingham Borough Council within their emerging Local Plan.
Located within the heart of Arborfield, the site is positioned approximately 4 miles west of Wokingham and 4.5 miles south-east of Reading. The site is enclosed by the recently built Observer Way, connecting the newly built Arborfield Garrison development with the wider Wokingham network.
Mac Mic Group has already started promoting the site on behalf of the landowners via the emerging Local Plan, currently stalled. A decision has been made to progress with an early planning application to assist with Wokingham Borough Council’s shortfall of housing. Mac Mic Group has already started an extensive programme of stakeholder engagement and community consultation.
Conor Roberts, Regional Manager of Mactaggart & Mickel Group's South East Strategic Land team (pictured), comments: “Our focus will be to understand what local people need from a new neighbourhood. We aim to shape a proposal for the site that delivers a range of benefits for the community in terms of new homes and facilities, as well as creating a sense of place where people want to live.
“Enclosed by the newly opened Observer Way, which forms part of the council’s major new roads programme, the site is already well connected. Furthermore, the site has considerable scope to create a sense of place for Arborfield with potential to include a community hub, along with enhanced landscapes leading to biodiversity net gain, and green areas open for both new and existing residents to enjoy.”
Wokingham Borough Council’s draft allocation at Hall Farm for around 4,500 homes under its emerging Local Plan sets out where they want development built in the borough over the Plan period. The 60-acre Arborfield site sits outside of this allocation but, as an area identified for growth, could help the council to meet its housing delivery target in the short term.
Conor Roberts adds: “Mac Mic Group started to promote this exciting opportunity via the council’s emerging Local Plan. We have started some of the technical work to submit an early outline planning application, illustrating the site’s deliverability for this growth area. This site has the potential to deliver much-needed new homes to a well-connected, popular and attractive area. We want to thank everyone involved for their work on this, the landowners, their surveyor, Chris Newman of Haslams Chartered Surveyors and the legal teams for making this happen.”
