South Wokingham Distributor Road (SWDR) Central Section

Current project status

The Central Section will run from the new roundabout at Waterloo Road, at the end of Eastern Gateway, to the existing Tesco roundabout at Finchampstead Road.

Improvements will also be made to the junction of Molly Millars Lane and Finchampstead Road, a scheme known as Western Gateway.

Detailed designs have been drawn up for these and planning conditions discharged, while ownership of the land has been transferred to us.

Enabling works on both schemes have started, with main works set to start in Spring 2025. Read more on our South Wokingham Distributor Road page.

Funding

The work is being forward funded by Homes England, to be repaid through contributions that developers building homes in this area are required to make.

We’re working closely with the developers to ensure the new road and housing proposals complement each other.

Planning application

A planning application was submitted in November 2019, with updated planning documents submitted in December 2020.

Significant survey work was undertaken including ecology, ground condition, archaeology and tree surveys to inform the Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA).

Transport modelling has also been undertaken to inform the Transport Impact Assessment (TIA), and we consulted local landowners and others with an interest in the scheme.

Planning consent was granted at a special planning committee meeting in May 2021.

Programme timeline to present

Winter 2019: Submission of planning application
Winter 2019: Commence detailed design
Spring 2021: Announcement of planning decision
Winter 2021: Completion of detailed design

Newsletters

To stay up to speed with the completion of the South Wokingham Distributor Road, please sign up for our South Wokingham community newsletter.

Take a look at earlier newsletters below: