Plans for the Natural History Museum’s Collections, Digitisation & Research Centre at Shinfield go before councillors in Wokingham on Wednesday (March 13) with a recommendation for approval.
The proposed state-of-the-art purpose-built centre, going before Wokingham Borough Council’s planning committee, will store collections and provide space for digitisation. There will be laboratory space and offices for further analysis of specimens.
The Natural History Museum holds one of the world’s largest collections of specimens of the natural environment. Activities currently carried out at South Kensington and Tring would move to the new site which will be accessed off Cutbush Lane East and be close to the British Museum’s archive, Thames Valley Science Park and the University of Reading, creating a new knowledge cluster.
The site has significant transport connections but the countryside location has conflicts with Wokingham Borough Council policies.
However, a report to Wednesday’s meeting states: “Any adverse impacts on the countryside are outweighed by the economic, social and sustainable benefits that this important facility would deliver.”
The recommendation for approval requires a s106 agreement to be signed within six months or the scheme would be refused.
The team on the project includes Carter Jonas on planning, Fielden Clegg Bradley Studios on architecture and design and Abley Letchford Partnership on transport masterplanning.
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