A new supermarket, 206 homes, and a pub are a step closer to fruition as building has started on a new village centre in Arborfield Green five years on from first being proposed.
Wokingham Borough Council made the announcement on social media last week – only to be met with angry comments from residents.
First proposed in 2019, the development will have 206 new homes, a Sainsbury’s supermarket, a pub, square and community centre. It is being built on the former Ministry of Defence training base.
Development failed to start in 2019, with the council blaming the pandemic and wider economic conditions.
Planning permission was then given by the council in 2023, with building expected to start in January 2024.
In a post on Facebook, Wokingham Borough Council wrote: “The grounds are now being prepared for a new district centre at Arborfield Green, which will have shops, a public square, a community centre and more!”
Some Facebook users complained the new development doesn’t come with a new GP or dentist practice for all the incoming residents.
Others complained over the time it had taken for building to start.
One user commented: “When can we expect this to be completed please?
“We moved here almost seven years ago and we were promised a district centre within two to five years.”
Another said: “Forget about the promises made to incoming residents, what about all the promises made to the existing residents who were told we could expect positive changes as soon as 2016.”
Work on the Sainsbury’s, long-awaited by residents with no nearby supermarket, is expected to start later in the year.
