Site Context
An Extension to Thatcham
North East Thatcham represents an opportunity to deliver a well-planned, landscape-led extension to the town, responding to its setting in the Kennet Valley and building on the qualities that make Thatcham an attractive place to live.
Location
The site comprises over 170 hectares of land to the north east of Thatcham. It sits approximately 1km from the town centre and around 1km from Thatcham railway station, which provides regular services to Reading and Newbury. Bath Road runs along the southern boundary of the Masterplan area, with the North Wessex Downs National Landscape bordering the site to the north. The site is broadly flat in its central and southern sections, rising to higher ground along its northern edge.
What Could Be Delivered?
Adopted Policy SP14 requires the proposals for north east Thatcham to:
- Deliver up to 2,500 new homes, including a significant proportion of affordable housing
- Provide two new primary schools and land for a new secondary school
- Create new local centres with shops, services and community uses
- Establish new community parkland and extensive green open spaces, with an aspiration for up to 50% of the site dedicated to green and open space
- Improve walking, cycling and public transport connections to the town centre and railway station
- Support biodiversity net gain and climate resilience
- Deliver sustainable drainage and flood risk management
