 Progress on shops and more at Arborfield Green
Initial ground works at Arborfield Green's new district centre are complete, and contractors are now building the main entrance road off Nine Mile Ride Extension.
This will allow access to the shops and housing that are going to be built here, as well as the Sainsbury's supermarket approved under a separate application.
Utilities like electricity substations, drainage and sewer diversions are under way, while nearby manholes have been fixed following reports from residents.
Construction of the shop units and housing, as well as the Sainsbury's store building, should start in the spring.
Timeframes are subject to change, as with any major project of this kind, but it's hoped that the first retail units will be completed in 2026.
The scheme also includes space for a pub, and talks are under way with operators who've tentatively expressed an interest.
A separate application has also been submitted for a neighbourhood centre with shops at nearby Finchwood Park and will be decided in due course.
 New supermarket opens a short journey away
Meanwhile, a new Lidl supermarket has opened on Beke Avenue in Shinfield and is already proving popular.
The new store is open from 8am until 10pm (Monday to Saturday) and 10am until 4pm on Sunday. It has a 1,305 sq m sales floor with features including a bakery, baby-changing amenities and electric vehicle charging points.
As well as providing a community amenity, it's set to create up to 40 new jobs. Like the Arborfield Green district centre, it was envisioned as part of our Local Plan to meet the borough's future housing, employment and other needs.
It's next to the School Green bus stop, which is well served by Reading Buses' Leopard 3 from Reading to Wokingham town via Shinfield, Arborfield, Finchampstead and Barkham.
You can board at stops on Nine Mile Ride Extension, Sheerlands Road, Baird Road and Eversley Road. Cyclists can travel via Observer Way, which has a separate shared footway and cycleway.
Earthworks have been completed on the new 23.8-hectare nature park at West Court. Crest Nicholson is now landscaping the site, which will be linked to the neighbouring Finchwood nature park with a circular walk.
Crest have also started work on Arborfield Green's first allotments site at Nightingale Fields. This will have 36 plots, each with its own shed.
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