Residents living in or near Arborfield Green can help Wokingham Borough Council to ensure the area’s forthcoming new community centre becomes a thriving and vibrant venue for everyone.
The former Ministry of Defence training building off Nine Mile Ride Extension, near Arborfield Green Leisure Centre and other sports facilities, is set to be refurbished and redesigned as a local hub under wider plans for a district centre with shops, green space, a pub and more.
The council wants to know more about what local people think the community centre should offer, so it is running a brief survey until Friday, April 28.
It is also talking directly to organisations that might benefit, like parish councils, schools and community groups, to get a clearer picture and make everyone’s views count. This will help to make sure the community centre provides what residents want and need for many years to come.
Cllr Lindsay Ferris, executive member for planning and local plan, said: “A facility like this offers a real lifeline and a valued space for people to meet and enjoy social activities with each other, or could perhaps serve as a base for services or charities to operate.
“There are lots of options and we want to make sure we plan this one properly for local people. The district centre application will be submitted soon, which includes the community centre, but there is still time to influence this and get it right.
“We’ve kept our survey short and simple because we know people are busy, but it’s vital that we find out what people think and I would urge all Arborfield Green residents to take part.”
The district centre will serve residents living on the borough’s major new development at the former Arborfield Garrison and must be provided as part of a legal agreement.
Although new housing must be built to meet both local need and requirements imposed by the Government, the council is continually working to ensure that homes are served by high-quality infrastructure funded by contributions from the developers.
If anyone needs help completing the survey, or alternative formats, they can contact the council on 0118 947 6000 or visit one of the borough’s libraries.