Consultation on the scheme

Community Forum

Over the last two years, consultation has been undertaken and numerous meetings have been held with statutory consultees, local authority planning officers, Dunton Green Primary School and a number of groups and representatives.

In addition to these meetings, and once Berkeley Homes had begun setting out its initial proposals for the redevelopment of the site and engaging the local community, a Community Forum was established. The forum met on a regular basis from September 2005 until May 2006. A further meeting was held in March 2007.

The membership of the Forum comprises representatives from the following:

The forum was formed to provide a mechanism for a regular exchange of views and information between Berkeley Homes and key stakeholders. All matters are discussed on a without prejudice basis and members did not have to agree to all aspects of the proposals. However, the forum assisted in guiding proposals for the site through to a planning application.

Public exhibitions and consultation

The third public exhibition was held in March 2006. The first took place in July 2005 to consult the local community on the first draft of the proposals for the site. A second exhibition was held in November 2005 to bring the revised proposals to the community following the first public exhibition. The third exhibition gave details of the submitted scheme.

Feedback from the second public exhibition

On the whole, as at the first exhibition, the majority of respondents who submitted their feedback neither openly gave their support, nor their opposition to the scheme, but instead offered their suggestions upon areas that affected them, such as traffic management and infrastructure issues. The feedback from this exhibition was more specific to certain aspects of the scheme as more detailed proposals were exhibited.

General Comments
• On the whole, residents agreed with the principle that the site should be redeveloped but would like the local infrastructure and amenities to be taken into consideration.

Development proposals
•Overall, many residents thought the scheme looked good in terms of the proposed mix and layout.
• Some residents felt that the housing numbers were too high, which would result in an increase in traffic congestion in the local area.

Design and Appearance
• Most local residents felt that both the landscaping and design of the buildings were very important factors towards creating a high-quality development.
• Many residents stated they would like to see a traditional design being used
on the site and felt that this should be in keeping with the area.
• Many residents were interested in how the site is to be landscaped, raising questions over green open spaces and planting.

Facilities, infrastructure and community use
• The issue of medical facilities and requests for a new GP surgery were raised by a number of respondents.
• The impact of the site on education provision in the local area and how this will be addressed were raised.
• Some residents felt that the scheme would have a negative impact on existing local infrastructure due to its size.