 Photograph: Crest Nicholson
New supermarket and other amenities take shape
Works on the new district centre for Arborfield Green are moving forward with the completion of the first phase of the main access road.
This includes a new entrance to the Sainsbury's supermarket (pictured above) and a substation, which will go live once the service road is completed.
Temporary traffic lights were in place on Nine Mile Ride while these works were carried out, and we'd like to thank everyone for their patience.
Utility works and further earthworks, road building and drainage are coming up next, while Sainsbury's will be back to continue work on the store building.
The district centre is being provided by Crest Nicholson as part of a legal agreement linked to the new homes being built in this area.
It includes new houses and flats, 18 shop units, public green space and other amenities, plus space for a pub, all on a 10.6-hectare plot off Nine Mile Ride.
It's hoped that work on the homes and retail spaces could start this spring, while negotiations with a pub operator are expected to resume later this year.
 Get the latest on new community centre and more
On Wednesday 26 February, we'll be holding a drop-in session at the community centre on Princess Marina Drive (RG2 9NN) from 5.30pm to 8pm.
This is your chance to find out what's happening across the development and speak with us or our partners at Crest Nicholson and Cala Homes.
We'd hoped to finalise the design plans for the proposed new community centre at Arborfield Green this month, but we're still in discussions with Crest.
However, we're making good progress and hope to be able to announce more, including the next steps, in March.
The new community centre is proposed to be based at the former Ministry of Defence building next to Arborfield Green Leisure Centre, as illustrated above.
We've listened to your views and are now negotiating to agree a detailed design that we're confident will meet people's needs.
The upgrade of the sports facilities is progressing well. Demolition of the current pavilion is planned for early summer, with construction set to start in September, while improvement of the tennis courts should start in April.
 Bus route to add more journeys after feedback
We've agreed an increase in frequency for bus route 3 between Wokingham town and Barkham, Finchampstead and Arborfield.
Our decision-making executive is has agreed to tender a contract for the route, increasing it to every 30 minutes on weekdays and Saturdays.
The service is hourly, and people tell us that this limits their options for getting to work or school, enjoying leisure time or seeing family and friends.
We're keen to support this so everyone has access to healthy, convenient and affordable alternatives to driving.
Reading Buses already runs the 3 more frequently between Arborfield and Reading, as part of its commercial offer, so our proposal would complement that.
The contract, which could start from May, would be funded by contributions from developers building new homes in the area.
It would run for two years initially with scope for two further one-year extensions.
Places Leisure will be launching a free 10-week My Way to 5K programme at Arborfield Green Leisure Centre with My Journey Wokingham's support, and want to know when the best time to host this on a weekday would be.
 A safe new heart for popular village centre
Did you know that our California Crossroads improvements at Finchampstead were funded by developers, as part of their obligations linked to new housing at the Arborfield Garrison major development?
Following the completion of this colourful, ambitious and forward-thinking project last year, we're still committed to monitoring the junction and aim to finish an ongoing review by the end of this month.
We installed cameras in October to take a close look at how people are using the new layout and features, including drivers, pedestrians and cyclists, and we're seeing that vehicles are slowing as the design intended.
In transforming this well-used space, which reopened last autumn, we set out to create a pleasant, safe environment with a stronger sense of identity while slowing traffic and making pedestrians more visible.
Keeping everyone safe is our top priority - and our observations show that we’re achieving that, just like similar schemes at Poynton in Cheshire, central Coventry and Ponders End in London.
We recently agreed to put our new draft Local Transport Plan (LTP) before full council with a recommendation to adopt it. This covers all aspects of getting around the borough, and supports all kinds of improvements including developer-funded transport infrastructure.
 You might also like to know...
- We've given the final go-ahead for 185 homes in the Hogwood Farm area
- The 36 new allotment plots at Nightingale Fields will be planted up this spring. Once opened, they'll be managed by Arborfield and Newland Parish Council
- We've agreed to go ahead with planting works at the new West Court nature park, which should finish later this year
- There'll be a drop-in storytime event at Arborfield library from 10am to 10.45am on Monday, 10 February. Between 10am and midday, there'll be a drop-in event explaining the support available to families with children under five
- Find out more about My Journey Wokingham's upcoming events, which include Balance Bike Club events for children at FBC in Finchampstead
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