DEVASSIST: University of Reading
University of Reading Submits Plans for 2,800-Home Extension as Part of New Berkshire Garden Village
The University of Reading has formally submitted plans for a major new urban extension that would deliver up to 2,800 homes on the southern edge of Reading, forming part of the wider Loddon Valley Garden Village proposal.
The hybrid application, now with Wokingham Borough Council, covers a 397-hectare greenfield site owned largely by the university and sits within the area identified for allocation under policy SS13 of the council’s emerging local plan – currently under examination by the Planning Inspectorate.
A new community for South Reading
The submission seeks outline consent for up to 2,800 new homes, including 100 self- and custom-build plots, alongside three schools, a district centre offering around 11,000 square metres of commercial, business and service space, and a smaller local centre with 2,400 square metres of Class E floorspace.
Plans also include a sports hub with pitches and pavilion facilities, new green infrastructure, 20 gypsy and traveller pitches, and a spine road linking key parts of the site. Proposals cover drainage, flood alleviation and biodiversity net gain measures, with full consent sought for 40 hectares of natural greenspace and the demolition of existing structures to prepare the land for development.
Supporting long-term housing growth
The Loddon Valley Garden Village is earmarked to deliver around 3,900 new homes in total, helping Wokingham meet “a significant portion of the [council’s] new housing requirement”, according to the emerging local plan.
A planning statement prepared by Savills, acting for the university, said the scheme “will deliver a new garden community comprising new housing, a EcoValley, a range of services, facilities and employment opportunities in a highly sustainable location that will not only address the housing and employment needs of the borough in the next local plan period (to 2040), but also contribute significantly towards meeting needs in the period beyond that”.
Timeline and consultation
Two additional applications linked to the wider garden village, from Gleeson Land and Hatch Farm, are expected later this year and in early 2026. Given the scale and complexity of the project, the council anticipates a final determination in late 2026.
Councillor Martin Alder, Liberal Democrat executive member for planning and enforcement, said:
“This marks the start of the public consultation on the first of these applications, and we encourage anyone with an interest in the proposal to take a look at the plans and share their views. All feedback will be considered as part of the decision-making process.”
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