Wokingham Planning Applications

Wokingham Borough Council has published its pre-submission Local Plan for consultation. The proposed Plan identifies the expansion of the South Wokingham Strategic Development Location for 1,100 homes. Lightwood is promoting land within two parts of the proposed allocation for 850 and 95 homes respectively and has been working with Nicholas King Homes and the Council to prepare a comprehensive masterplan. Outline planning applications have been submitted and will be determined during the examination period. A lot has been achieved since the land was signed in 2021. We were pleased to appoint John Simpson architects to prepare the masterplan, application plans and design and access statement. www.johnsimpsonarchitects.com

Lightwood successfully challenges Three Rivers Affordable Housing Viability

The appeal decision was issued by the Planning Inspectorate on 2^nd September, and whilst the application was refused on grounds of its impact on the character and appearance of the area (which we do not agree with obviously), the Inspector did agree with Lightwood in the determination of the reason to refuse on the grounds of the lack of provision of an affordable housing contribution.

A financial viability assessment was submitted with the application which demonstrated that no affordable contribution could be made. This was subsequently independently reviewed by Adams Integra, on behalf of the council who disagreed with the methodology used and sought a contribution of £96,201.

The matters in dispute were focussed on the Benchmark Land Value (BLV) used in the modelling. The Council’s conclusions were based on a figure derived from subtracting the Post Development Value (PDV) of the property from the Current Market Value (CMV) of the property to generate an Existing Use Value (EUV) for the development plot only. A 20% premium was then applied. The resultant figure equated to a land value of 14.3% of the Gross Development Value (GDV) which is significantly below accepted industry standards.

In contrast, Lightwood conclusion was based on the (CMV + 20% Premium) – PDV = BLV. This resulted in a land value of 35.7% of the GDV which is reflective of expected return. Subsequently, the Inspector was persuaded that this was the correct methodology to employ and therefore found no conflict with the requirements of Policy CP4 of the CS, the Affordable Housing Supplementary Planning Document (2011), or the Framework.

Cullompton Town Centre Relief Road & Cricket Club Relocation

Following the submission of our planning application at the end of July, Mid Devon Council has been awarded additional funding to deliver the town centre relief road. Completion of the road is forecast for 2028 with the major focus of work in the short term being to finalise designs, complete the acquisition of land and fully relocate the cricket club to land that Lightwood control and where it achieved permission for a major new regional facility.

It is expected that the relief road will be the first phase of major road infrastructure investment in Cullompton with further investment expected to support the upgrading of J28 in order to address the capacity of the junction and support wider planned growth. A further business case for investment in the J28 junction is currently with the Government for consideration.

East Cullompton Planning Application

At the end of July, Lightwood submitted its biggest ever planning application for 1,150 homes and supporting uses within the 2,600 homes East Cullompton allocation of the Mid Devon Local Plan. The application follows the adoption of a masterplan SPD, and we will be working with the Council and other developers on a Strategic Design Code and Infrastructure Delivery Plan. This is just the first phase of a 5,000-7,000 home garden village that the Council will progress through the review of its Local Plan, and where we have extensive land interests.

What does a new Labour government mean for the planning system?

The Labour manifesto commits to “immediately” updating the National Planning Policy Framework (NPPF), to reverse some of the changes introduced by the Conservative Party, including re-instating mandatory housing targets.

The current version of the NPPF refers to the standard method for assessing housing need as “an advisory starting-point”. It is hoped that a firmer policy basis for assessing housing need will incentivise local authorities to more readily grant planning permission for residential developments.

Labour has committed to planning reform that would allow for 1.5 million homes to be built over the parliament. This equates to the delivery of 300,000 homes per year – a delivery rate successive governments have promised but failed to achieve.

To reach the 1.5 million home target, the Labour Party has committed to:

taking a “brownfield first approach” and fast-tracking developments on urban brownfield sites;
preserving high quality greenbelt land while releasing lower quality “grey belt” land for development;
building a new generation of new towns in addition to urban extensions and regeneration projects;
strengthening planning obligations and amending the Affordable Homes Programme to allow for delivery of “the biggest increase in social and affordable housebuilding in a generation”; and
unlocking development affected by nutrient neutrality

We await the full details with anticipation.

Lightwood attend Mole Valley Local Plan examination

The Local Plan has entered its examination Phase and the hearings will be taking place in three stages as set out below;

Stage 1 – Legal and procedural requirements
Stage 2 – Housing Need and Supply, Green Belt Alterations, Spatial Strategy, Strategic Policies and Economy Policies
Stage 3 – Site Allocations & Delivery

The Stage 1 hearings dealing with legal and procedural compliance took place on June 23rd. Lightwood submitted detailed reps addressing the Duty to Cooperate and the Sustainability Appraisal on behalf of our landowners and attended the session to elaborate on these points.

Inspector Wilders has subsequently confirmed that, from what she has read and heard to date, the Examination may proceed to Stage 2.

At the latest hearing session, the Council confirmed the progress of additional studies to assess the Local Plan’s impacts on M25, junction 9a, including the identification of any necessary mitigation. It confirmed that, subject to those additional studies, it expected to submit, to the examination, an agreed Statement of Common Ground with National Highways in August 2022. This is critical evidence that underpins the delivery of the Plan, including its housing trajectory and viability.

In light of this expected submission, to make best use of Examination time and to ensure fairness to all parties given the weight of evidence submitted for stage 2 of this Examination, the Inspector has amended the draft Examination hearings time table delaying the stage 2 hearing sessions until after the summer break.

Hart Council AGM announces new Chairman and Cabinet

Further to the local elections that took place on 5^th May 2022 and which saw the Conservatives lose control of Fleet East to the Liberal Democrats, at the Annual General Meeting (AGM) on Thursday 19 May, the new Chairman and Vice Chairman were elected for 2022/23. The Cabinet members and Chairmen of Hart District Council Committees were also appointed.

The Council has 33 seats, made up of 11 Conservatives, 10 Community Campaign Hart (CCH), 11 Liberal Democrats and one independent.

A vision for Great Whaddon

Following a number of design team meetings with Create Streets, the first vision for Great Whaddon at Trowbridge has evolved and a wider concept that, instead of locating development close to Hilperton and its conservation area, prefers to expand beyond the byway and across the A361 to make for a more coherent urban form and vastly expanded green spaces and amenities, is being considered.

Mole Valley submits Local Plan to Secretary of State

The Mole Valley Local Plan was submitted to the Secretary of State for independent examination on Monday 14 February 2022 and Beverley Wilders BA (Hons) PgDurp MRTPI from the Planning Inspectorate has appointed by the Secretary of State to carry out the independent Examination of the Local Plan.

Wokingham Revised Growth Strategy Consultation

A consultation on a Revised Growth Strategy for the local plan was conducted between 22 November 2021 and 24 January 2022, which sought views on some key changes to the council’s approach for development across the borough.

Unlike the previous Draft Plan, which was consulted on last year, Wokingham BC did not propose a new town of around 15,000 homes at Grazeley. This was no longer possible following an extension of the emergency planning zone around AWE Burghfield to include that area. Instead, the key sources of proposed supply are:

947 homes within a first tranches of smaller sites
875 homes within a second trances of smaller sites
906 homes within the residual SW SDL land (with SANG south of Emm Brook)
150 more homes at the Arborfield SDL
371 more homes the South of M4 SDL
283 homes at the North Wokingham SDL

This sub-totals at 3,532, nearly 1,000 (6.5%) over the minimum requirement. The Council is also proposing a wholly new SDL at Hall Farm/Lodden Valley south of the M4. The full scale of this is assessed as being in the region of 4,500 homes, with 2,200 to be completed by the end of the Plan period.

The proposals for the South Wokingham SDL follow an investigative masterplanning approach led by David Lock Associates and Stantec for WBC. Two scales of development were considered for the area south of Waterloo Road, but approach (i) was selected;

i. 835 homes as proposed in the consultation document, with the Emm Brook forming the limit to built development.

ii. 1,000 homes, which, unless the density north of Emm Brook was increased from 30dph to 35dph, would require land between Emm Brook and Easthampstead Road.