On behalf of the University of Reading, Savills has submitted a hybrid planning application for part of the land within the proposed Loddon Valley Garden Village.
Loddon Valley Garden Village is a new community in Wokingham Borough that will bring together homes, schools, jobs, community facilities and provide access and deliver enhancement to the Loddon Valley.
The submission follows extensive pre-application discussions with Wokingham Borough Council and a wide-reaching programme of community engagement earlier this year. It included public exhibitions, meetings, and discussions, with invitations sent to more than 10,000 local households, groups and businesses.
Key features of the application, which has been updated following the consultation, include:
- Affordable homes: Up to 2,800 new homes, with 40% allocated as affordable through below-market rent and shared ownership schemes.
- Green spaces: More than 125 hectares of open space, including an innovative new park, gardens and sports facilities, including an indoor Sports Hub.
- Custom and self-build: Dedicated plots to encourage design and home ownership.
- Education: Two new primary schools and one secondary school, with space for future expansion to meet demand, alongside early years provision, ensuring families have access to high-quality education close to home.
- Community amenities: A vibrant District Centre and two Local Centres offering shops, services, a healthcare centre and a supermarket.
- Environmental commitment: A 20% biodiversity net gain, enhancing habitats and wildlife and providing green corridors for nature, walkers and cyclists.
- Connectivity: New pedestrian and cycle routes, public transport priority corridors and new bridges over the M4 and River Loddon to improve connections.
- Infrastructure: Sustainable drainage systems, full-fibre broadband and a new electricity substation to support village infrastructure.
- Respect for heritage: Landscape buffers and green corridors to protect existing communities and heritage sites.
- Local employment: Around 3,450 new jobs expected to be created on-site, supporting long-term economic growth.
The application sets the framework for future development. If approved, detailed applications for individual parcels of land will follow as the project progresses.
Wokingham Borough Council will now begin its statutory public consultation, alongside a detailed review of the application by planning officers. The proposals will also be discussed at the upcoming Local Plan Inquiry, beginning this month, where their alignment with Wokingham’s long-term planning strategy will be considered.
Professor Robert Van de Noort, Vice-Chancellor of the University of Reading, said:
"The University of Reading has been part of the local community for a century, and we will continue to play our part here in the century ahead. Loddon Garden Village is designed with local people at its heart. We’re proud to bring forward a plan that supports families, protects nature and provides facilities for generations to come.
“With plans already underway for new University agricultural facilities at our new farm nearby, we look forward to continuing our education and research here long into the future.”
Phil Brown, Planning Director, Savills Reading, said:
“This application is the culmination of more than four years of collaborative work and consultation to develop a scheme that will deliver much-needed new homes, including affordable provision, alongside new infrastructure, services and facilities to the benefit of existing local communities, and new residents of Loddon Garden Village.”
Richard Alldread, Associate Landscape Architect for Savills Urban Design Studio commented:
“This project has been an excellent opportunity to bring together our expertise in urban design and landscape architecture to create a vibrant, sustainable community, underpinned by a landscape-led approach.
“Green infrastructure and open spaces are seamlessly integrated into the layout, complemented by our design of new SANG and the creation of EcoValley, opening up the Loddon Valley to the residents of Wokingham and enhancing biodiversity, supporting sustainable water management, and promoting long-term resilience.”