A | B | C | D | E | F | G | H | I | J | K | L | M | N | O | P | Q | R | S | T | U | V | W | Y | Z
Affordable Housing - Feedback received at the initial consultations in 2005 indicated a significant demand for affordable housing in Bracknell. The original planning approval required a 20% allocation for affordable homes. Since then, the market price of housing has soared and is now excluding more and more people from affording a suitable home in Bracknell.
With this in mind, the enhanced development will have an allocation for 38% of affordable housing, of which 15% will be set aside specifically for key workers, such as police, nurses and teachers.
Biodiversity – The biodiversity of the site has been surveyed and monitored over the past three years. The features that are important to the protected wildlife using this area will be retained or replaced.
Community Services – We intend to utilise some of the open space for mixed community use, some being kept as woodland, some being developed for sports and leisure use. The public will be asked to provide feedback on their preferred facilities at the public exhibition – these will be taken into consideration when details are submitted for planning approval later this year.
Design – All homes will be designed to a high quality with a mix of houses and apartments to suit local needs. Homes will be designed to sit in the natural environment, with landscaped ‘pocket parks’ and green linkages which maximise the residential frontages onto open spaces providing ‘landscape led’ parkland development.
Environment – The revised development proposals will also help to protect the environment. English Partnerships is committed to delivering the highest standards of sustainable development. As part of our agreement with English Partnerships, Taylor Wimpey, has committed to build all homes so that they achieve EcoHomes ‘VERY GOOD’ rating. Where appropriate, renewable energy systems (for example, solar thermal) will be used to further reduce carbon emissions. Careful ecological and landscaping mitigation and enhancement will help ensure that the wildlife and amenity value of the site is preserved.
The requirements of Bracknell Forest Borough Council, and regulators such as the Environment Agency, Natural England and English Heritage will further ensure that impacts are minimised and the quality of life for local residents is protected and enhanced; for example through increased access to the site and its areas of woodland and open spaces.
First time buyers – English Partnerships has facilitated a First Time Buyers Initiative (FTBI) that is designed to help local low income buyers get on to the property ladder. The initiative is similar to a shared equity scheme as it enables eligible first time buyers to buy a new home that is affordable to them, with English Partnerships retaining an entitlement share of the future sale proceeds. The enhanced development will have an allocation for 38% of affordable housing, of which 15% will be set aside specifically for key workers, such as police, nurses and teachers.
Already, a substantial number of homes sold have been bought through this scheme. Please speak to one of the Project Team if you are interested in this initiative or click here to find out more.
Green travel – A Community Travel Plan is proposed to raise awareness, encourage and provide incentives for new residents to use means of travel other than their car. There will be new bus services provided through the site which will be subsidised by the development in the early years. High priority will be given to pedestrian and cycle access to the site.
The Community Travel Plan can draw upon a toolkit of travel plan measures such as personalised travel planning, bus taster tickets, cycle discount vouchers, car club, car sharing and new residents’ travel packs.
Health – The development is designed to enhance the wellbeing of its residents with the potential introduction of new sports fields, healthcare facilities, a sports pavilion or nursery. We want you, the local community, to provide feed back on the preferred facilities. As a result, we are in the process of holding working groups with local Bracknell residents.
Infrastructure – The scheme includes a substantial package of improvements to local infrastructure, including, for example, improvements to the Horse & Groom roundabout. These measures, coupled with a Green Travel Plan, will ensure that the schemes impact on local roads will be minimal and aims to provide tangible benefits to the local road network. The necessary infrastructure improvement to support the enhanced development is already underway with road and drainage improvements.
Joint venture – Following the company’s appointment as “preferred developer” in 2005, Taylor Wimpey and English Partnerships are continuing to work together, looking at how best to bring forward the redevelopment of The Parks, the former RAF Staff College site.
Key Workers – It is important that local key workers, such as teachers, nurses and police form part of the community and are helped on to the property ladder. A First Time Buyer’s Initiative (FTBI) is available to help key workers to join the property market.
Leisure - As part of the design process we have been looking at how best to bring forward the leisure facilities. We would very much welcome people’s suggestions for what facilities might be included. The community can provide feedback on this at the public exhibition.
Mixed Community – Mixed communities are vital in establishing successful places to live. With this in mind, the development will have a mix of houses and apartments available to buy or rent, with affordable housing and first time buyers initiatives for low income and key workers. In addition, we are currently exploring commercial facilities such as a gym, grocery store, crèche or café.
National Planning Policy – Government advice (PPS1, PPS3, the Barker Review) and planning policies (Bracknell Forest Local Plan, Emerging LDF Core Strategy) encourage sustainable development with an emphasis on making the best use of previously developed land. The objective is to ensure that housing is developed in sustainable locations, like the RAF College, and to limit the amount of development on greenfield sites.
One of the intended measures is to make more efficient use of land though increased densities. 30 dwellings per hectare is the minimum density sought by the Government. However, greater densities of development than this are encouraged, especially on sites within walking distance of a town centre and public transport links. The Parks is a location where higher density development is appropriate.
Open Spaces – Our new proposals provide a unique opportunity to open up around 18 hectares (44.48 acres) of open space for public use. This includes formal playing pitches, woodland walks, children’s play spaces, informal parkland and wildlife areas.
Parkland – At the heart of our development is a central area of parkland which is connected to the housing by a series of green corridors, allowing access routes so more residents and community members can enjoy the variety of green spaces available. The parkland has been designed to ensure that the existing mature trees are retained. In addition, new tree planting and wildlife areas will be created in the eastern part of the site, alongside new wetland areas.
To complement the central area of open space there will be a series of pocket parks, dispersed throughout the development, with formal civic gardens by the former Ramslade House.
Questions – Click here to go to the Questions and Answers section of this website, or email RAFstaffcollege@golleyslater.co.uk.
Ramslade House – As part of this provision, we are exploring the possibility of redeveloping Ramslade House. Whilst it could be refurbished, we think that it may be better to replace it with a more sustainable purpose designed community building which could incorporate a better level of services and facilities.
Sustainability – A Sustainability Appraisal has been undertaken using the Regional Sustainability Checklist for Development and the proposals have scored GOOD to BEST practice. The planning application for the enhanced scheme will also be accompanied by an Environmental Impact Assessment covering a range of topics identified by Bracknell Forest Borough Council.
Traffic – The reduction of traffic levels and the accompanying reduction in carbon emission is a core driver of sustainable development. English Partnerships is seeking to increase the number of new dwellings on the site because of its location near to the town centre and good public transport. The Parks offers residents greater opportunities to travel other than by car compared to sites outside the town.
There will of course be some additional traffic locally but Taylor Wimpey will contribute to providing comprehensive capacity improvements to local road infrastructure that also allows for traffic from other proposed developments, such as the major town centre regeneration.
Underway – Currently, Phase One of the development is underway with some homes already under construction on the site as part of the detailed planning application for 730 units, approved by Bracknell Forest Borough Council in 2006.
Necessary infrastructure improvement to support the enhanced development is also underway with road and drainage improvements.
Vision – We aim to create a truly sustainable development that will enable people to live in an affordable and decent home in a community where they want to settle and safeguard the local environment for future generations.
Wildlife – The open space will be managed to increase the mix of habitats, to include wetland areas, meadow grassland, glades and scrub, as well as the existing wooded areas and short mown lawns. The features that are important to the protected wildlife using this area will be retained or replaced. More information will be displayed at the public exhibition.
Young People – Both the open spaces and the leisure facilities we will provide will enable young people to be part of the community, whether enjoying the parks or being active within one of the sports facilities.
Zones – Areas of open space have been identified as suitable natural habitats for various wildlife species and native fauna, as well as public recreation.
Find out more at the public exhibition on the 20th and 21st July.
