Reading Borough Council has reiterated concern over the possible future relocation of the Royal Berkshire Hospital.

The prospect of part or all of the hospital’s facilities being moved to Thames Valley Science Park is mentioned in the Wokingham Local Plan update, which lays out the future of development in Wokingham Borough until 2038.

 

READ MORE: Royal Berkshire Hospital could be relocated - sites named

 

The Council’s main issues stem from how accessible any proposed new hospital site would be for Reading residents needing treatment, visiting, or working there.

The Council’s strong viewpoint is that a possible future relocation to the Hall Farm-Loddon Valley site currently does not provide anything near approaching the level of accessibility required, unless a dramatic improvement in public transport accessibility is provided at the outset.

The proposed Hall Farm-Loddon Valley site sits between four and seven kilometres from the centre of Reading and is on the edge of the Reading urban area.  

The Council believe 'accessibility to central Reading and the rest of the urban area is currently extremely poor, with both the M4 motorway and River Loddon and its floodplain forming major barriers to movement.'

Reading Council’s response states that further detail on transport is required before the Council could come to a view on whether the proposed development can be supported.

The Council’s clear stance is outlined in a consultation response to the latest stage of consultation for Wokingham Borough Council’s Local Plan.

Reading Borough Council’s Lead Councillor for Strategic Environment, Planning and Transport, Tony Page, said: “We understand that all organisations will routinely review their premises, but the focus has to be on the well-being of people who require care. The Hall Farm/Loddon Valley site simply does not currently have the public transport links available. While the final decision on relocation sits with the NHS Trust, and not Wokingham or Reading Councils, both have declared climate emergencies. To relocate the hospital to a site where the only current realistic travel option would be by car, would seem to be at odds with that commitment.

“Excluding the hospital site, the Council has at this time not been provided with the necessary evidence to demonstrate how a housing and employment development on this scale could be highly accessible by public transport, walking and cycling, including links into central Reading. We would want to see much more clearly developed transport proposals before we could determine whether or not we agree with any proposal in principal.

“We are of course grateful to Wokingham for the opportunity to feed into its Local Plan and will continue to work closely with them on a range of strategic planning matters, in acknowledgement that our close boundaries mean we are each materially affected by major planning decisions in the neighbouring borough.”

 

Click here to read the Council's full response.