Loddon Valley Garden Village

Wokingham Borough Council has received two of the three planning applications for Loddon Valley Garden Village, a major new development outlined in the borough’s draft Local Plan, which proposes around 3,930 new homes.

To make it easier to access information within the application, the documents are being displayed on our Planning Application Documents SharePoint site. The application will be subject to public consultation and assessed through the usual planning process. Current neighbour notifications request responses by 16 January 2026; however, please note that comments may be submitted up until the determination of the planning application. The earlier the council receives correspondence on the proposals, the more time officers will have to consider those comments. 

University of Reading Application (planning ref: 252498) 

This application proposes up to 2,800 homes, along with schools, community facilities, retail and employment spaces, a large new country park, leisure facilities, green spaces, and new infrastructure such as bridges and access roads. 

Summary

• Up to 2,800 new homes, including 100 custom and self-build plots
• Two primary schools and one secondary school
• A main centre and a smaller local hub with shops, workplaces, and other local facilities
• A sports centre, health facilities, and additional community amenities
• Space for gypsy and traveller families, a new cemetery, and an electricity substation
• A large new country park and more than 58 hectares of green space for walking, nature, and recreation
• Measures to enhance local wildlife and habitats, aiming for a 20 per cent increase in biodiversity
• Demolition of some existing buildings and construction of new roads, bridges over the M4 and River Loddon, and new walking and cycling route 

Gleeson Application (planning ref: 252769) 

This application proposes up to 430 homes, and new infrastructure such as access roads and open space provision. 

 Summary

• Up to 430 new homes, including up to 40% affordable dwellings
• Associated vehicular infrastructure, including a connection to the proposed Spine Road (Ref: 252498), and a new pedestrian and cycle link between Byway ARB03 (Carter’s Hill Lane) and Byway ARB08 (Ellis’s Hill)
• Comprehensive strategic landscaping and a network of multi-functional green and blue infrastructure
• Biodiversity enhancements
• Associated utilities, infrastructure, and engineering works

Planning context 

The sites are proposed for allocation under Policy SS13 of the emerging Local Plan Update, which is currently being examined by the Planning Inspectorate. The application will be considered in parallel with this process. 

The draft Local Plan sets out an overall framework for how the site could be developed. In addition, the council is preparing a design guide to help shape the future look and feel of the site.