Have your say on road to proposed museum research centre

Following the launch of public consultation by the Natural History Museum about their proposed new research centre in Shinfield, the University of Reading will share plans of a new access road to the proposed Museum site.

The University is inviting residents to learn more about the plans to build the road to provide access to a new building for the Natural History Museum.

Local representatives and residents are invited to an open event and to share their feedback on the plans. Along with the rest of the Thames Valley Science Park site in Shinfield, the road will be built and owned by the University of Reading.

Professor Robert Van de Noort, Vice-Chancellor of the University of Reading, said: “The Natural History Museum Unlocked project will bring another world-class science centre to the heart of our community. The University’s support for the museum project is part of our commitment to the economy and society of Wokingham and Reading, through innovation and world-class research.

“This access road is an important infrastructure development that will allow people, and millions of scientific specimens, to get to the museum site safely. This consultation provides an opportunity to share views on the proposed access road and your feedback will help to shape the project.”

Residents and interested parties are invited to join the University of Reading at the café of the Gateway Building, Thames Valley Science Park in Shinfield on Wednesday, 27 September, from 3pm to 7pm. For more information, please contact tvsp@reading.ac.uk.

Research centre

The Natural History Museum owns 80 million specimens from around the world, spanning 4.6 billion years of history and used for the benefit of science and research. As part of a developing collaboration with the University of Reading, the NHM is preparing to submit a separate planning application to build a flagship collections, digitisation and research centre at TVSP, where 28 million of their specimens will be kept, studied and digitally recorded for use by researchers worldwide.

The access road will upgrade existing roads within Thames Valley Science Park to allow safer movement of pedestrians, cyclists and traffic to and from the Natural History Museum building, connecting to the existing internal and external road network. It will run east from Cutbush Lane and will be accessed via a new roundabout at the north-western frontage of the Natural History Museum building. The new road and roundabout will allow the opportunity for the existing bus services operating at Thames Valley Science Park to be extended so that they also serve the proposed Natural History Museum development.

The impact of traffic movements to and from the new museum centre will form part of that planning application when it is submitted to Wokingham Borough Council.