A joint local plan for thousands of new homes near Reading and the surrounding countryside is currently up in the air.
Since Caversham was incorporated into Reading Borough in 1911, the town has been surrounded by the Oxfordshire countryside north of the River Thames.
People from Henley, Sonning Common and the other surrounding villages often travel south to Reading for work, education, leisure, or to get onto the M4.
South Oxfordshire District Council (SODC) has jurisdiction for planning in its area, which comes right up to the border with Caversham.
SODC is currently undergoing a Joint Local Plan process with the Vale of White Horse, which covers Abingdon, Wantage and Faringdon.
The process involves land owners suggesting sites for new housing and development in both areas until 2041.
A proposal by the Gladman strategic land acquisition company would see 1,200 homes built immediately east of Caversham.
A masterplan shows vehicular access to the development being established, connecting to Henley Road, with a park and ride, a local centre and a new school.
The development would be separated from Caversham by a sliver of trees, and is on land in Playhatch, which comes under the Eye & Dunsden Parish Council.
Playhatch is currently a hamlet with approximately 25 homes based on satellite imagery, which are concentrated near the Crown Inn and Shoulder of Mutton pubs.
This is just one of the locations that have been suggested for development in the joint local plan.
The biggest is the proposed ‘Dalton Barracks Garden Village’ in Shippon near Abingdon, which would deliver approximately 2,750 new homes.
There is also a proposal for expanding Berinsfield near Dorchester into a garden village of 1,700-1,900 homes.
The latest news on the joint local plan process is that a number of crucial documents were published on Wednesday, April 8.
These include strategic flood risk assessments, a study on atmospheric pollution and ‘statements of comment ground’ for various suggested sites.
The joint local plan needs to be approved by the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government before it can be adopted.
If it is accepted, it will supersede the South Oxfordshire Local Plan 2035, which was adopted in December 2020, and the Vale of White Horse Local Plan 2031, which was adopted in two parts in December 2016 and October 2019.
While the joint local plan was submitted in December 2024, inspectors sent it back to the two councils, arguing that it failed in a ‘duty to co-operate’ with Oxfordshire County Council.
This was revealed in a joint statement by the two councils in October last year, and they are both considering how to proceed.
There is a chance that both councils will cease to exist in the near future, as they have proposed a merger with West Berkshire Council to create ‘Ridgeway Council’.
A decision on the merger, as part of the reorganisation of local government in Oxfordshire, is due to be made later this year.
