Proposals have been published for 1,200 new homes on the edge of Caversham, Playhatch and Emmer Green.

Land promoter Gladman has submitted a vision document to Reading Borough Council which puts forward its suggestion for the development of 100 hectares of farmland, stretching from Henley Road to Peppard Road on land which falls within South Oxfordshire.

Gladman’s vision for what it calls the North Reading Growth Area proposes:

  • 1,200 homes including policy compliant numbers of affordable homes
  • A park & ride off Henley Road
  • A primary school
  • 8km new footpaths and cycle routes
  • 19 hectares of new woodland
  • Seven hectares of new ponds/wetlands
  • A community orchard
  • New play facilities and improvements to some in Caversham Park

The document, first submitted last December, was published on the Reading Borough Council website last month as part of its Local Plan Partial Update. It was unearthed by the Reading-on-Thames blog.

Although it is entirely in South Oxfordshire, Gladman suggests the development, next to 1,000-home Caversham Park Village, could help Reading meet its required housing numbers. It includes the site of a previously unsuccessful Gladman scheme for 245 homes which was refused at appeal in 2018.

Gladman’s vision states: “The North Reading Growth Area has the potential to deliver a well designed, beautiful place with beauty and place-making at its heart.

“It will enjoy significant areas of green space and enhanced community infrastructure, in a highly sustainable location, that minimises landscape and environmental harm.

“Attractiveness, sustainability and quality will drive the design of the development to create a beautiful and sustainable place that celebrates the existing characteristics and context of this location, whilst responding to the challenges of climate change and the climate emergencies that have been declared in the South Oxfordshire and Reading authority areas.

“This North Reading Growth Area offers the opportunity to deliver an urban extension to Reading with sustainability and exemplar design as core values and which places people, place and planet at the heart of its vision.”

A look through the Gladman submission, along with commentary on the proposal, including Gladman’s reference to a possible third Thames crossing in its documentation can be seen at the Reading-on-Thames blog.

© Thames Tap (powered by ukpropertyforums.com).

Sign up to receive our weekly free journal, The Forum here.