Housing and Development
The availability of quality housing, affordable housing and other developments within the district is important for its success.
Service Areas
These teams are key to West Berkshire's success as they work with landowners, developers, and other partners to plan for the district's future.
The availability of quality housing, affordable housing and other developments within the district is important for its success. This department helps to make this a reality by developing our Local Plan, a long-term document which sets out our housing needs and the infrastructure needed to support it. It then, through its Development Management and Planning Enforcement teams, works with those wishing to build within the district to ensure that what they are proposing is appropriate and is what the community needs.
The Housing service works with local partners to enhance affordable housing provision within the district whilst also acting as the first port of call for those experiencing homelessness or housing crisis. If you want to help shape the district's future, the Development and Housing department may have the role for you.
Planning and Economy
Our Planning and Economy service is a really important part of making sure development within our district is well-planned and supported by the infrastructure our residents need, such as schools, roads and doctors surgeries.
The district of West Berkshire presents a particularly interesting challenge for aspiring and qualified planners to deliver much needed development in an area where 74% is within the North Wessex Downs Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty (AONB) and there are other constraints such a areas of high flood risk, Sites of Special Scientific Interest (SSSI) and a Detailed Emergency Planning Zone (DEPZ) around the Atomic Weapons Establishment in the east of the district. Our Planners focus on achieving high quality development while working to maintain and enhance the district.
Working within the Economy Team is also interesting as it provides opportunities to help support our 8000+ local businesses and get involved in exciting regeneration projects. Check out our vacancies to learn more.
Housing
Our teams in Housing provide support and advice to those in our local community to ensure they are supported in finding appropriate accommodation and are equipped with the necessary advice and information.
Our homelessness prevention team work tirelessly to prevent people from becoming homeless. They work to identify people at risk and intervene with solutions, they work rapidly if a homelessness crisis occurs, so it is brief and non-recurrent. They help more people recover from and exit homelessness by getting them back on their feet.