See answers to previous information requests

1. How many acres / hectares of the Rooks Nest Site have been allocated for the send school?
2. How many acres / hectares have been allocated for the covid wood?
3. Will any other land be left? Are any other uses being considered?

Rooks Nest Farm comprises 31Ha land, located to the south of Barkham Ride and north of California Country Park.
The area identified for the Covid Memorial Wood measures approximately 7.7Ha and is located adjacent to California Country Park. Details can be found in the Covid Memorial Wood report presented to Wokingham’s Executive on 21st March 2023.
Approximately 8ha of Rooks Nest Farm (the south western quarter) has been included in the Barkham Solar Farm proposals. Full details of the extent of the solar farm can be found in the planning submissions under planning application reference 211081.
In the September 2022 Executive report it was estimated that a new SEND School would need between 1.2 and 1.6 Hectares of land, based on DfE non-statutory accommodation and site guidance for special schools.
This would leave a residual area of circa 13.7ha of farmland.
Rooks Nest Farm has been promoted through the Local Plan Update for residential and was (in conjunction with 24 Barkham Ride) explicitly identified in the Council’s Revised Growth Strategy (November 2021) to accommodate residential development. A site allocation of 270 dwellings is included in the strategy. The Revised Growth Strategy was a consultation document and it pre-dates the emergence of the SEND school proposals. No decision has been taken as to the future use of the residual area of land at this stage.