More Affordable Housing for Bracknell
08 February 2008
An enhanced scheme to enable a higher percentage of affordable housing has been submitted to Bracknell Forest Borough Council this week. The outline planning application by English Partnerships, the national regeneration agency, and appointed developers Taylor Wimpey, relates to the former RAF Staff College site, now known as The Parks.
The application, for 781 dwellings, will bring the total number of units on the site to 1,150. The enhanced scheme would provide an additional 336 affordable homes and increase the total allocation of affordable accommodation to 437 homes.
Area Director for English Partnerships, David Ashworth said: "The enhanced scheme provides an opportunity to introduce higher quality specifications to the next stage and to ensure that there will be a 20% reduction in energy demand by using renewable energy through a variety of solutions."
"We plan to introduce homes which are affordable to purchase and affordable to live in."
To date 104 homes at The Parks have been completed by Taylor Wimpey following Bracknell Forest Borough Council approval in 2003 to build 730 dwellings on the brownfield site.
Neville Stebbing, Major Projects Manager for Taylor Wimpey, commented: "We want to provide Bracknell residents with the opportunity of living in a quality home whilst providing amenities for the wider community to enjoy."
"The enhanced application provides a higher percentage of affordable housing and key worker accommodation. This will help meet the housing demand of local families who are finding it increasingly difficult to get onto the property ladder. "
More Affordable Housing for Bracknell
"Additionally, through careful re-design, the enhanced application will provide accessible public open space. The open space will include playing pitches, woodland walks, children’s play spaces, informal parkland and diverse ecological habitat for indigenous wildlife."
"Finally; in response to the feedback we received during last year’s public consultation, the enhanced application includes the retention of Ramslade House for community use. We will also provide new buildings close to Ramslade House for further commercial and community facilities intended to create a new, vibrant ‘hub’ for The Parks development. We are currently researching the historical link this site has with the RAF in the hope that this can be displayed within the new centre."
Local residents are invited to comment on the planning application by contacting Bracknell Forest Borough Council.
For more information contact:
- Dianne Collins, English Partnerships, email diannecollins@englishpartnerships.co.uk or telephone 01233651730 or mobile 07825761880
- Rebecca Johnston, Golley Slater Public Relations, email rjohnston@golleyslater.co.uk or telephone 020 7255 6400 or mobile 07967 600 436
Notes to editors:
1. English Partnerships is the government’s national regeneration agency delivering high quality, sustainable growth in England. We do this by developing our portfolio of strategic projects and acting as the government’s advisor on brownfield land. We also ensure that surplus public sector assets are used to support wider government objectives. English Partnerships helps create communities where people can afford to live and want to live. Information on projects and programmes can be found at www.englishpartnerships.co.uk English Partnerships and the Housing Corporation are working with the Department for Communities and Local Government to establish the proposed Homes and Communities Agency.
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