Councillor Stephen Conway, Leader and Executive Member for Housing and the Local Plan, approved the commencement of public consultation on the Draft Loddon Valley Garden Village Strategic Design Code (LVGV SDC). This decision will pave the way for the finalisation and adoption of the SDC as a material planning consideration to support the Local Plan Update (LPU).

Loddon Valley Garden Village Strategic Design Code

The meeting approved the commencement of public consultation on the Draft Loddon Valley Garden Village Strategic Design Code (LVGV SDC). This code is designed to guide the development of the Loddon Valley Garden Village (LVGV), a new settlement allocated within the Wokingham Borough Local Plan Update (LPU) 2023–2040. The LVGV is intended to help meet the borough's housing needs and is planned to deliver a high-quality, landscaped Garden Village that supports healthy, inclusive, and sustainable communities.

The purpose of the LVGV SDC is to ensure a cohesive and coordinated approach to development across the allocated area, which spans multiple land ownerships. It establishes a single design framework to guide development quality, promote placemaking excellence, support active and healthy living, and embed the Marmot Principles, which focus on health and wellbeing. The SDC will also set the parameters for subsequent site-specific design codes required for reserved matters applications.

The decision to proceed with public consultation was made to ensure that development at LVGV comes forward in a consistent, coordinated, and high-quality manner, particularly as planning applications have already been submitted ahead of the LPU's adoption. The report highlighted that well-designed places have significant positive outcomes for health and wellbeing, potentially reducing the need for health and social care services. Early engagement with local stakeholders, Ward Members, and Councillors has influenced the draft SDC to reflect local character and community needs.

The financial implications of the recommendation include an estimated cost of £150,000 for the current financial year, with further information for the next financial year being commercially sensitive. The report also noted that the Design Code has received input from various council services, including Public Health, Adults and Children Services, to address key priorities. An Equalities Impact Assessment (EqIA) was completed, concluding that the SDC is likely to have a positive impact on various groups, including those defined by age, disability, pregnancy/maternity, sex, and socio-economic disadvantage, by promoting accessible and inclusive environments. No full impact assessment was deemed necessary.

The recommendation was to:

1. Approve the commencement of public consultation on the Draft Loddon Valley Garden Village Strategic Design Code (LVGV SDC).
2. Note the intention that following formal public consultation, the LVGV SDC will be finalised and brought forward for adoption as a material planning consideration to support the Local Plan Update (LPU).

The decision was made by Councillor Stephen Conway, Leader of the Council and Executive Member for Housing, Partnerships and the Local Plan. Officers present included Abi Peacock, Senior Planning Officer. The contact officer for the report was Luciane Bowker from Democratic & Electoral Services.

The relevant documents for this item include the Public reports pack, the Agenda frontsheet, the Public Consultation of the Loddon Valley Garden Village Draft Strategic Design Code, Enc. 1 for Public Consultation of the Loddon Valley Garden Village Draft Strategic Design Code, and the Draft Loddon Valley Design Code.