The University of Reading has welcomed proposals for a massive 4,500-home ‘garden village’ to be built on the doorstep of its Science and Innovation Park.

This November, Wokingham Borough Council published its Local Plan update which sets the tone for development in the area for the next 17 years.

The update was in part triggered by the collapse of a plot to build a 15,000-home ‘garden village’ south of Reading in Grazeley.

The biggest change in the Local Plan update is a proposal to build a 4,500-home garden village south of the M4 between Shinfield and Sindlesham.

READ MORE: What is the Wokingham Local Plan update that could see thousands of homes built across the borough

Of those homes, it is hoped a minimum 2,200 of them would be built in 2037/38.

This new community will be built on farmland which has a number of owners, with the University of Reading owning land at Hall Farm, which forms part of the area allocated for development.

The proposal for the 4,500-strong new community has been called the  ‘Loddon Valley garden village’ in the Local Plan update.

The University of Reading has welcomed the Loddon Valley garden village proposal, particularly due to the development site’s proximity to Thames Valley Science Park in Shinfield.

Maps show the area of the garden village stretching from the science park in the west to Sindlesham and Winnersh in the east. You can view the site using the council’s Local Plan update map by clicking here.

Thames Valley Science Park, which was originally envisaged as a science park, has transformed into a base for film and TV production, after plans for TV studios and a film production site called Shinfield Studios were both approved earlier this year.

They both form part of a vision to create a ‘Cine Valley’ creative media hub to rival Pinewood Studios in Buckinghamshire and even Hollywood itself.

The university has stated that it welcomes the possibility of new homes to provide a base for future staff at the science park and ‘cine valley’.

READ MORE: From science to 'Hollywood': How plans for Thames Valley Science Park have changed

A spokesperson for the university said: “Proposals for the Loddon Valley Garden Village are at an early stage.

“We want to ensure that we take a proactive, collaborative approach to this significant scheme, building on the values of positive engagement set down by the neighbouring Thames Valley Science Park and Cine Valley.

“This is a real opportunity to bring forward an original scheme for development that is employment-led, provides benefits for students, and links back to the academic centres of excellence at the University of Reading.

“There is still a great deal of work to be done, with much research and technical work yet to be undertaken – however we look forward to undertaking this journey with our students, academic and professional services colleagues, Wokingham Borough Council and members of the surrounding community to help further shape this vision.”

Hall Farm stretches across 580 hectares and currently serves as  an active dairy farm supporting 550 Holstein cows.

It is also used for research into agriculture, food production and the environment by university students and professors.

The university wants this research to continue into the future.

A consultation is due to begin seeking residents views about the Local Plan update on November 22, but is not live yet.