Planning Applications For University Land – University of Reading
26 February 2003The University of Reading has submitted to Wokingham District Council planning applications concerning proposals for some of its land and buildings in the Shinfield area, which are no longer used by the University. Most of the locations involved are brownfield sites. The applications are being made together because the University has awaited modifications to the Wokingham Districtwide Local Plan and has put considerable effort into working with the Council to ensure that these co-ordinated proposals are in accord with National Policy and Local Development Plan Policy. In particular, the University's advisers have assessed the traffic impact of the proposals as a whole; as a result, a number of substantial road improvements will be added to those already in the pipeline in order to address the traffic problems at Shinfield. The University is an integral part of the local economy which its activities support both directly and indirectly. It is committed to ensuring that its knowledge and skills are successfully transferred through collaborating with local businesses and industry. In due course, the sites concerned in these proposals will provide an important source of revenue for the University, which it will invest entirely in its prime purpose of providing the highest quality teaching and research. The proposals can be summarised as follows: Lane End Farm and the Horticultural Station These brownfield sites are no longer used by the University for their original research purposes, although Lane End Farmhouse itself will continue to provide residential accommodation. The three main components are: