University submits major 4,000-home plan

A planning application for the first phase of a university's proposed garden village of about 4,000 homes has been submitted.

The University of Reading wants to build Loddon Garden Village on land close to Shinfield and Lower Earley and it is included in Wokingham Borough Council's current housing plans.

The application includes about 2,800 homes, along with two primary schools and one secondary school, community facilities, shops and a large country park, with two applications set to follow over coming months.

A Wokingham council-run public consultation opened on Tuesday and will run until 16 January, with the application expected to be decided in late 2026.

The authority said it expects two further applications for the rest of the project to be submitted by Gleeson Land and Hatch Farm this month and early in 2026 respectively.

The local authority approved its local plan, which outlines where it wants development to go, in September 2024, and it includes building homes at Loddon Garden Village.

It said it wants 40% of the new homes at the site to be classed as affordable, subject to those being financial viable.

In its application, the university said the garden village will be "Wokingham's exemplar sustainable garden community", which will "promote healthy living and wellbeing by integrating contemporary living, heritage, active travel and community facilities".