Turning a challenging edge-of-settlement site into a deliverable community-led housing scheme
Key details
- Location: Arborfield Cross, Wokingham
- Client: Croudace Homes
- Status: Resolution to grant planning permission approved by planning committee in July 2025, subject to the S106 Agreement being finalised, with formal planning permission granted in April 2026.
- Sector: Residential / strategic land
- Project lead: Craig Pettit
- Marrons team: Julie McLaughlin, Kai Blackmore, Maria Vierma, Davide Respini, Dan Usher, Simon Macklen, Hannah Hamilton-Rutter
We secured planning committee approval for a 70-home development at Arborfield Cross, transforming a challenging edge-of-settlement site into a deliverable scheme that will provide much-needed homes, including significant affordable housing, in an area facing an acute housing shortage.
Brought forward on behalf of Croudace Homes, the outline application sought permission for up to 70 homes, including 40% affordable housing, together with open space, landscaping, access and associated infrastructure.
The application was considered against the backdrop of Wokingham Borough Council’s severe housing land supply shortfall, with the authority only able to demonstrate approximately 1.7 years of deliverable housing land supply, bringing Paragraph 11 of the NPPF and the tilted balance firmly into play.
Reimagining a challenging opportunity
The project followed earlier proposals on the wider site that had encountered significant planning challenges and local opposition. Rather than simply revisiting a previous approach, we worked closely with the client team to fundamentally reshape the planning strategy and create a scheme capable of securing support.
The revised proposals reduced the scale of development, removed part of the wider site from consideration and significantly strengthened the landscape and environmental response.
Comprehensive ecological assessments and a robust mitigation strategy demonstrated how the development could sit more comfortably within its surroundings while delivering meaningful benefits for the local community.
Delivering homes where they are needed most
At the heart of the planning case was the delivery of homes in a borough experiencing a significant housing shortage.
The scheme provides up to 70 new homes, including 28 affordable homes, creating opportunities for local families and helping address a growing need for housing choice. Officers attributed significant weight to both the housing delivery and affordable housing benefits, recognising the important contribution the scheme would make in the local context.
The development also delivers a wide range of wider benefits, including:
- Public open space and green infrastructure
- A commitment to 20% biodiversity net gain on site
- Contributions towards local healthcare provision
- Improvements to public transport services
- Enhanced walking and cycling connections
- Employment and skills initiatives secured through the Section 106 package
Together, these measures help create a development that supports not only new residents, but the wider community as well.
A collaborative planning approach
A key part of the project’s success was establishing a clear and compelling planning narrative.
Through early engagement with senior officers, careful management of the application process and a robust evidence-led planning strategy, we were able to demonstrate that the benefits of the scheme clearly outweighed the identified harm. Importantly, this approach enabled the project to secure committee support without the need for a lengthy and costly appeal.
The planning committee ultimately resolved to grant permission, recognising the scheme as a sustainable response to the borough’s housing challenges and a positive addition to Arborfield Cross.
The result
This project demonstrates the value of strategic planning advice in unlocking development opportunities that might otherwise stall.
From a site facing previous challenges and significant scrutiny, we helped deliver a planning outcome that creates new homes, secures affordable housing, enhances green infrastructure and supports long-term community growth.
It is a strong example of how thoughtful planning, collaborative working and a clear vision can turn a complex site into a successful and deliverable scheme.