Bracknell

It was more than just a discussion on bricks and mortar when more than a hundred delegates with an interest in housing met to shape the strategic housing priorities in Bracknell Forest last week.

Everyone from house builders, housing association representatives, resident association members, and staff from the Government’s Housing Corporation joined with leading members and officers from Bracknell Forest Borough Council on Thursday (October 18) to discuss the future of housing in the borough.

Guest speaker Terry Fuller, who is one of the country’s leading experts in affordable housing within the private sector got the discussion rolling while Alison Bailey, a planning manager at the South East England Regional Assembly (SEERA), outlined how Bracknell Forest’s plans would fit in to the vision for the South East.

The Bracknell conference was part of the important consultation phase, which will help shape the Council’s housing strategy. The strategy, once adopted next year, will seek to address a range of housing issues in the public and private sector including meeting the housing, needs of local people, preventing homelessness and ensuring homes meet high eco standards

The strategy will set out the priorities for housing in the borough for five years between 2008 and 2013 and will work in conjunction with a number of other Council strategies including the community cohesion strategy and the Health and Well Being Strategy and will deliver the housing objectives of the Local Development Framework .

The Local Development Framework is a wide ranging set of planning documents, which will run until 2026, and will replace the Bracknell Forest Borough Local Plan. Part of the LDF, called the Core Strategy - which sets out how the borough will tackle sustainable development, environment, transport and locations of future housing, employment and shopping has recently been given the green light by inspectors.

Delegates took part in a range of workshops to thrash out ideas including workshops on health, well-being and the link with housing; improving choice, which discussed choice based lettings; increasing access and improving standards in the private sector; and creating environmentally friendly communities.

A session was also held on developing planning policies for the delivery of housing - and explored issues relating to the location, mix, tenure, density and delivery of new housing in the borough.

Ideas from the day will be used to shape a draft housing strategy and the first stages in preparing detailed planning policies on new housing development- both will be consulted on early next year.

Once adopted by the Bracknell Council, which is likely to be in early spring 2008, the Housing Strategy will provide a solid blueprint for the borough’s housing priorities.

Cllr Dale Birch, Executive Member for Bracknell Adult Services, Health and Housing, said: Providing homes that meet the community’s need is crucial in ensuring the health and wealth of the borough for years to come.

The conference was a big step in shaping plans for the future of housing in Bracknell Forest as there were many professionals and resident representatives on hand to give us an insight into what the local need is. I’d like to thank everyone who took part as their comments and suggestions are invaluable to us as we embark on drafting this major strategy. I would also like to thank those organisations that sponsored the event."

Cllr Mary Ballin, Executive Member for Bracknell Planning and Transport, added: Making sure we create sustainable communities for the benefit of all our residents is extremely important.

"This conference was a great opportunity for people with an interest in housing to come together and discuss the future of housing in the borough. This will help us ensure Bracknell Forest continues to be a good place to live and the right quality, quantity and type of homes are built.”

Bracknell Forest Borough Council