Development update February 2026.
- paulstevens24
- 2 days ago
- 3 min read
Arborfield and Newland Parish Council, working with Barkham Parish Council, are preparing an update to their joint Neighbourhood Plan. The old plan is over 5 years old and needs a lot of work to bring it up to date with the new National Planning Policy Framework.
The Neighbourhood Plan will sit alongside the Local Plan to guide development in our area. It is very much still a work in progress but the website for it will be going live HERE very soon. Public consultation/information meetings are scheduled at several locations as shown below.
7th March - Farley Hill School- 2 - 5 pm
21st March - Arborfield Village Hall - 2 - 4 pm
28th March – Barkham Village Hall – 2 – 4 pm
13th April – Webinar – 7 – 8 pm
Loddon Garden Village.
The illustrative masterplan shown above can be viewed at full resolution as part of the application linked to below.
All the submission documents for the University of Reading (UoR) Loddon Garden Village (LGV) Planning application (252498) can be found HERE.
The notes below are from a meeting between representatives of the University of Reading and Arborfield and Newland Parish Council held of 04/02/2026.
Thames Valley Science Park (TVSP) has opened the British Museum storage and research facility. The Natural History Museum facility is currently under construction. It is expected that work will commence soon on the Kew Gardens herbarium facility.
Upgrade work is underway on a foul sewage pumping station that will take existing foul water from TVSP to treatment facilities at Wargrave. NOTE: The LGV site will require significant upgrade work to the Arborfield Water Treatment site from Thames Water.
The path under construction from the Eastern Relief Road towards Cutbush Lane is expected to flood at this time of year. It will eventually be a cycle and foot path to the Solar P.V. site and beyond into TVSP.
Management of the flooding will be improved by additional SuDS (Sustainable Drainage Systems). This uses natural processes and features to manage surface water runoff, mimicking how water flows in nature to reduce flooding, improve water quality, and create amenity/biodiversity benefits, rather than relying solely on traditional underground pipes. These systems slow, store, filter, and use rainwater at source, incorporating elements like green roofs, permeable surfaces, swales, and ponds to manage water sustainably.
The “Eco-Valley” that runs through the centre of the development along the River Loddon will be maintained and managed by UoR.
£500,000 is available for a feasibility study into Royal Berkshire Hospital (RBH) being sited at TVSP.
Traffic modelling takes account of current congestion as well as modelling the proposed changes consequential to the addition of the 3,830 houses at LGV.
The third and final planning application from Hatch Farm Developments is expected in May 2026.
UoR do not yet have a developer for their 2,800 home site.
Wokingham Borough Council (WBC) are expected to look at the whole LGV application at a Planning Committee meeting in September 2026.
First houses would be expected at the Observer Way end of the UoR site in 2027/28.
The “Spine Road” that runs through the centre of the site will be limited to 20 mph. It is possible an additional 30 mph road will run in parallel to it to accommodate traffic using the site as a short cut.
The medical practice could be built 5 years sooner if it is included in the Local Centre, rather than the District Centre.
A “Community Partnership” will be sought between residents, stakeholders and developers.
The “Old Church Yard” heritage site is currently undergoing an assessment to establish what can be done to preserve it.
The “Avenue of Trees” is to be retained, although it will be bisected by the new Spine Road.
The Travellers Pitches are a legal obligation. Layout and management plans are being prepared.
Quarterly meetings will continue between UoR and local Borough, Town and Parish councillors.
Comments