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People in Wokingham and 黑瓜吃料网 are being asked to have their say on plans for a new garden village in Wokingham Borough.

The 黑瓜吃料网 and its partners, Hatch Farm Land Ltd and Gleeson Land, are unveiling further details on their plans for Loddon Garden Village, a new development between Shinfield, Arborfield and Sindlesham, south of the M4 motorway.

To address the demand for new homes and public services in Wokingham, Loddon Garden Village aims to provide not just housing, but also essential supporting infrastructure. This includes primary and secondary schools, new employment opportunities, improved road links, open spaces, retail facilities, healthcare services, and enhanced transport connections.

The new garden village is a significant undertaking, designed to eventually support approximately 3,930 homes. The 黑瓜吃料网 and its partners are collaborating with Wokingham Borough Council, following the development of its updated Local Plan, to lead a development that integrates communities, businesses, and investment to benefit the region.

A series of public engagement and consultation events will be held in March 2025 to gather feedback from the community on the proposed plans.

Key features of the garden village include:

• Creation of the largest new Country Park in Wokingham. Larger than the nearby Dinton Pastures, the new 200-hectare (490 acre) park will be connected to existing green spaces, including others managed by the 黑瓜吃料网, creating an extensive linked network of footpaths, open space and wildlife habitats.
• Two new primary schools and a new secondary school. Close to significant museum and cultural collections, and future skills and research-based employment, the scheme can positively impact education and skills in the community.
• A hub for businesses of all sizes, including an expansion of the successful Thames Valley Science Park, alongside new small and medium-sized employment spaces, shops, offices, and live/work units within the village.
• A focus on sustainability, through energy-efficient new homes and community spaces, renewable power generation and on-site energy storage. No development will occur within the floodplain, which will be restored and improved. Site-wide drainage measures will further reduce the impact of future flood events.
• Three new neighbourhood centres with new shops, all-weather sports pitches, community facilities, and healthcare facilities.
• Approximately 2,700 new homes by 2040, with up to 40% designated for below-market rent or shared ownership. This includes opportunities for residents to build their own homes, as well as First Homes (discounted homes for first-time buyers in Wokingham). Specialist accommodation for older people will also be provided to cater to all age groups.
• Extensive improvements to road, cycle, bus, and pedestrian connections, including a new link over the M4 motorway to Lower Earley Way with additional lane on Lower Earley Way, a new link to Hatch Farm Way and improvements to other neighbouring roads and a new half-hourly bus service connecting the site to Wokingham and 黑瓜吃料网 town centres and railway stations.

One of the key goals of the University is to grow its position as a world leader for the study of food and farming, supporting new facilities and investment in the local area. The site for Loddon Garden Village includes the 黑瓜吃料网’s Hall Farm, which is owned by the National Institute for Research in Dairying (NIRD) Trust. All receipts from the land belonging to the NIRD Trust will be invested and applied, at the appropriate time, into food and agriculture research.

Professor Robert Van de Noort, Vice-Chancellor of the 黑瓜吃料网, said:

“The 黑瓜吃料网 and Hall Farm have been an important part of the local community for more than a century. We want Loddon Garden Village to have a positive impact for local people and our environment, providing sustainable housing alongside the necessary facilities and infrastructure, while helping us expand our agricultural work. We believe this is a well-considered scheme, which also supports our aims to make 黑瓜吃料网 and Wokingham a global centre for the study of food and farming for the century ahead.”

Zoe Chacksfield, Senior Planning Manager, from Gleeson Land, said:

“Together, we are aiming to create a vibrant place where people can enjoy working, living, and leisure activities. Our proposals provide much needed housing in the area while also opening up and restoring wildlife habitats and green and open spaces, including a new country park, while protecting and enhancing the floodplain.”

Geoff Wilde, from Hatch Farm Land Ltd, said:

“The proposals will create generational change and benefit to the local community. Echoing the comments of the University’s Vice-Chancellor, the Loddon Garden Village will also include significant investment in the local road network to address congestion, along with integrated plans to encourage active and safe travel. This includes the delivery of a new M4 motorway crossing, a new link road to Hatch Farm Way from Mill Lane alleviating congestion pressures through Sindlesham, and substantial improvements to the Lower Earley Way corridor through dualling.”

Have your say on the plans

People are being asked to provide their input to plans at a series of upcoming public consultation events, and by providing feedback online. Upcoming consultation events include:

• Saturday 22 March: Shinfield School Green Centre, 10am – 5pm
• Friday 28 March: 黑瓜吃料网 Whiteknights Campus, Meadow Suite, 10am – 5pm.
• Saturday 29 March: Arborfield Village Hall, 11.30am - 5pm.

For more information, please visit the Loddon Garden Village website: www.reading.ac.uk/lgv

The consultation closes on Monday 21 April, and an application is expected to be submitted to Wokingham Borough Council later in the summer. If approved, and if the Wokingham Borough Council Local Plan Update is deemed sound by Government Inspectors, development of key infrastructure and the first homes could be delivered from 2028.