Finished Road - Frequently Asked Questions

Will the new road increase the local flood risk?

Although the new road will create more impermeable land at the site, the design includes flood and drainage measures to offset the effect on flood risk. 

The road is designed to remain free of flooding in 1-in-100 year fluvial (river) and pluvial (rainfall) flood events, accounting for the impact of climate change.

Have you considered the impact of other developments on the new road?

Our borough-wide strategic transport model, which is periodically updated, considers the traffic impact from many types of development.

This includes the Wokingham town centre regeneration, strategic developments like South Wokingham and other developments that aren’t in our Local Plan.

Our model also includes development in neighbouring areas, especially Bracknell, West Berkshire and Reading, and general regional increases in traffic.

Extensive survey work was also carried out to produce a Traffic Impact Assessment to support the planning application for this scheme.

Will a high number of lorries pass through the new residential area?

We don’t expect a significant number of lorries, and the scheme is designed to accommodate them in its alignment and road widths. 

Wide verges, footways and cycleways will help to separate vehicles from pedestrians and cyclists, while the tree-lined route will be make clear that it is a residential area so will help to manage vehicle speeds.

What will be done to offset the loss of trees and impact on wildlife?

Under national planning rules, this scheme has to provide a “biodiversity net gain” of 10 per cent – in other words, to provide more habitats for wildlife than before it was built.

Some habitats will be relocated by working with the developers to provide suitable spaces, including a new nature park, within the wider South Wokingham development.

Improvements will also be made through planting within the road scheme and on embankments and verges. A detailed landscaping design should be approved in early 2025.

This will comprise hedgerow and small woodland copse planting to provide visual screening from homes and integrate the new road with the surrounding landscape. 

Hedgerows will contain native trees to match those on nearby roads and lanes, while street lighting has been designed to reduce the impact on roosting bats.

Significant survey work, including ecology and tree surveys, was carried out to support an Environmental Impact Assessment before planning our mitigation measures.

Will you be improving the railway bridge on Finchampstead Road?

The Western Gateway works will leave scope to improve the railway overbridge on Finchampstead Road, immediately to the north, at a later stage. 

This would be subject to agreement with Network Rail, who own the structure and are responsible for maintaining it, and there are currently no plans to do so.

Improvements were considered while planning the Western Gateway programme, but could not be taken forward for logistical and financial reasons.

However, the new roundabout will significantly improve traffic flows by itself, regardless of whether any additional works are carried out later.

Why aren’t you providing segregated cycleways?

The designs for this scheme complied with the relevant guidance on cycle infrastructure when they were drawn up, and were at an advanced stage when new guidance was issued in 2020.

They follow the designs for our previous major road projects including the Arborfield Cross Relief Road (Observer Way), the North Wokingham Distributor Road and Eastern Gateway.

Independent road safety audits have found all of these schemes to be satisfactory, with no significant issues reported to date.

The new guidance still permits shared facilities, particularly where the expected traffic flows indicate that they are still suitable.

Why can’t Easthampstead Road stay fully open with a four-way junction?

This change is required to allow safe access, via the link road, to the new homes that are going to be built. 

A four-way junction would not be feasible, as it would need to be significantly larger to operate safely and would then be too close to other junctions in the area.

The new three-way junction will work independently of the nearby level crossing at Star Lane, as the traffic signals will detect when the barriers are down and cycle the traffic lights accordingly.

Additionally, by only allowing buses to turn left off Central Section onto Easthampstead Road, other traffic will not be able to use nearby residential streets as a shortcut.

Why can’t you provide a bridge over the railway on Easthampstead Road?

Unlike the bridge over the railway on William Heelas Way (Eastern Gateway), which was built on previously undeveloped land with any future development planned around it, there are a lot of houses in this area and the impact would be far too big to consider this.

Why can’t the new road join Finchampstead Road to the south of the railway bridge?

This would not be practical as the road would then have to cross the railway bridge and several private properties.

Will any improvements be made for pedestrians on existing roads?

Developers are required to make improvements as part of the legal agreement linked to their planning permissions for new housing at South Wokingham. More details will be confirmed as the housing and other infrastructure comes forward.