Winnersh Relief Road Phase Two
Winnersh Relief Road
Wokingham Borough Council has submitted a full planning application for Winnersh Relief Road Phase 2 which, subject to planning consent, would connect the B3030 King Street Lane to the A329 Reading Road.
This road will be an important part of the council’s major highways project, a four-year programme that Balfour Beatty will design and build, which also includes Arborfield Cross Relief Road, South Wokingham Distributor Road and North Wokingham Distributor Road, as well as Barkham Bridge and improvements to Lower Earley Way.
Wokingham Growing Population
The Major Highways Project is part of the £400million infrastructure that is being put in place to support Wokingham Borough’s growing population with new homes, schools, community centres, parks and open spaces and sports facilities.
Mark Cupit, assistant director for delivery and infrastructure said: “The completed Winnersh Relief Road would help relieve the existing congestion and improve network resilience through Winnersh village and on the wider road network. It is also designed to provide additional capacity, which will help the Borough meet its objectives for housing and economic growth, and job creation.”
A329 Reading Road
This new road would include two new roundabout junctions on the A329 Reading Road, two new minor residential access roads and associated works including traffic signals, crossings, drainage, footways and cycleways. Phase 2 also includes an extension to the existing Longdon Road and if approved, once completed, this road would take traffic from Lower Earley Way all the way through to Coppid Beech Roundabout.
The new road would also improve existing routes and create new connections for pedestrians and cyclists that live and work in the area between King Street Lane and Reading Road.
The council has been undertaking numerous investigations and surveys including trees, ecology, landscape, archaeology, noise and transportation. They have also been speaking with key stakeholders and interest groups such as utility companies, allotment occupiers and the fueling station.
Public Exhibitions
Public exhibitions were held in various locations in September 2017 and exhibition boards were on display at the Wokingham Borough Council’s Civic Offices at Shute End during September and October.
Subject to successfully obtaining planning permission, detailed design work would be produced incorporating any planning conditions with construction planned to begin in late 2019 and the relief road opening to traffic in summer 2021.
Planning Application
The planning application and associated documents are available on the council’s website: www.wokingham.gov.uk by searching for ‘planning applications’ (reference number 180760). You can also comment on the planning application via the website too. Interested people can also visit www.wokingham.gov.uk and search ‘Winnersh Relief Road’ for an overview of the project.
Phase One
The first phase of the Winnersh Relief Road, which has been built by the developer Bovis, is due to be opened shortly. It connects the B3270 Lower Earley Way to the B3030 King Street Lane and will provide access to the new housing on that site.
