Keephatch Beech, Wokingham

The site at Keephatch Beech was a key strategic site in the North Wokingham area that would enable Wokingham Borough Council to deliver a relief road around the settlement of Wokingham.

The site was not allocated for residential development but Solve Planning were instrumental in promoting the site with members and officers focussing on the strategic benefits of the site.

Following the initial promotion of the site, in 2014 we managed the submission of an outline application at the site for the provision of up to 300 dwellings and a distributor road through the site that linked with developments to the north and the existing highway to the south. Key issues at the site involved the provision of the distributor road as well as the provision of SANGs. A key aspect of this application was the need to have the application determined within the 16 week time period to ensure CIL payments were not required from the development.

In 2015 we were instructed to coordinate the submission of the reserved matters related to the outline application.

This project has seen Solve Planning heavily involved in the early promotion of the site, liaison and management of large consultancy teams including management of an EIA process and submission of an outline and reserved matters application on a large site.