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Site visit for homes plan aimed at saving Guildford Cathedral

Councillors were this week due to make a site visit to one of most sensitive housing schemes in Guildford. The Cathedral Church of The Holy Spirit in Stag Hill (Guildford Cathedral) has teamed up with Linden Homes to propose 134 homes on land next to the church. Councillors are likely to discuss the application in February but, given the Grade ll* listed status of the building, officers proposed a site visit at December’s meeting. It is due to take place on Thursday, January 4. The design and

1,800 homes approved for former Top Gear aerodrome

A disused aerodrome, used by BBC’s Top Gear for 15 years, has been given permission for a wholesale redevelopment including 1,800 homes. Dunsfold Park was given approval in December by Waverley Borough Council for a mixed use scheme consisting of: * 1,800 homes plus care home spaces * Two schools * A nursery * A market square with shops and medical centre * An upgrade for the existing business park on the site Around half the site will be kept as open space. But the scheme, which has

Garden Town status will 'unlock Aylesbury's full potential'

Aylesbury council leader Neil Blake says news of gaining Garden Town status will unlock the town’s full potential. Aylebury was one of only three towns given the status which offers funding and support for infrastructure and long term planning. The Buckinghamshire town is set to accommodate 15,000 of Aylesbury Vale’s projected 27,000 new homes over the next 15 years. Aylesbury Vale District Council (AVDC) submitted an ‘expresion of interest’ in Garden Town status last October based on its

Plans for another 350 homes at Binfield

Plans have been announced to build another 350 homes at Binfield. Willson Developments has applied to Bracknell Forest Borough Council to build the homes and community and sports facilities with land for a school and a doctors’ surgery along with open space on a 33.5 hectare site known as Foxley Oaks off Foxley Lane. The land, currently pasture, woodland and arable fields, is around 400 metres from an existing housing development at Amen Corner and is also close to the Blue Mountain Golf Club

Reading looks to plug swimming pool gap

A new permanent building with a temporary swimming pool is being planned at Reading's Rivermead Leisure Centre. The council announced the closure of the Arthur Hill pool in east Reading last year, leaving the Central Pool in Bedford Road as only council-run swimming pool in the town - and it is expected to close in Autumn 2017. The Arthur Hill pool's planned permanent replacement at Palmer Park is three or four years away and so now Greenwich Leisure Limited (GLL) which runs Rivermead - which

Aviva Investors submits plans for 137 flats to replace Reading town centre's oldest supermarket

Plans for 137 flats to replace Sainsbury's in Reading's Friar Street have been submitted by AIPT (Aviva Investors). The plans, initially for 139 flats, were first revealed by Thames Valley Property on November 10. Now the supermarket which was built in 1963, is set to make way for the apartments which will extend the existing student flats on the corner of Greyfriars Road and Friar Street. Two retail units are included on the ground floor (A1-A5) although one may include B1a (offices) or D2

Merry Christmas from Thames Valley Property

Our guess is that property is not top of your agenda right now so we just want to wish our readers, sponsors and partners a Merry Christmas and Happy New Year. We'll try to update intermittently before our next newsletter on January 9. There's no doubt 2016 will be talked about for a very long time and it doesn't look as though 2017 is going to be any less dramatic. If like us, you failed to put that £1 accumulator on Leicester City/Brexit/Trump, and you have to return to the treadmill on

Hambledon Land puts Wycombe ski site on an upward curve

A developer which specialises in unlocking difficult sites has won planning permission to build 30 homes on the former Wycombe Summit ski slope site. Hambledon Land, worked with Wycombe District Council and the local community and was supported by GKA Property Communications to win permission for the site which had been derelict for more than ten years. The permission will include funding a comprehensive management plan for 29 hectares of Ancient Woodland  which is adjacent. Hambledon Land

Silverstone Technology Cluster forms its own company

Silverstone Park has formalised its status as a technology hub by forming a specific company. Park developer MEPC has brought together Barclays, EMW, Grant Thornton, Hexagon Manufacturing Intelligence, Aylesbury Vale District Council and Cherwell District and South Northants Council to agree a business plan and set up the membership-based, not-for-profit company called Silverstone Technology Cluster (STC). It follows the publication of a ‘cluster report’, by economic and social research

Pharmiweb Solutions moves into One Station Square, Bracknell

Three floors of One Station Square in Bracknell have been let to Pharmiweb Solutions.  Pharmiweb Solutions, a technology services business for the global pharmaceutical and healthcare sector, has taken a total of 12,693 sq ft in the building which was refurbished by Brydell Partners. Lambert Smith Hampton and Knight Frank advised on its marketing. The building, close to the station and five minutes walk from The Lexicon, is the first in Bracknell to have exposed services. It maintains a good