Site Options

Available sites and site assessment

Fifteen sites were originally submitted by developers and landowners and were allocated identities (Goring Neighbourhood Plan (GNP) 1-15) and are shown on the map opposite. One of these sites was subsequently withdrawn.

It was determined at an early stage that, given the environmental and policy constraints faced by Goring, particularly the impact of major development in the AONB and those set out in Section 3 of the SA, the site selection methodology would be evidence-based and criteria-based. This included feedback from agencies such as EA and Thames Water and commissioning independent expert evidence, specifically on Landscape and Visual Impact (LVIA), biodiversity and the local environment.

All of the sites proposed to the Plan were assessed objectively against identical site selection criteria to identify which of them, with mitigation could be acceptable for development within the AONB and river plain.

Further consultation then took place with residents and developers. All sites were reassessed against any new information and the most suitable sites were provisionally selected and allocated for development. This detailed process resulted in the identification of five potentially suitable sites and nine sites that were assessed as unsuitable. One of the potentially suitable sites was subsequently assessed as unsuitable due to flood risk and four sites were allocated to support new housing development in Goring.

The site selection process was managed in parallel with the evaluation of the strategic issues and spatial options to ensure that it could all be melded into a coherent Plan