Campaigners are gearing up for battle with a major research company over their designs to build a new science park and 2,000 homes in Warfield.

Syngenta, a multinational agricultural science company, has teamed up with housebuilders Taylor Wimpey and CEG, a building investment company, to transform its International Research Centre into a new Science and Innovation Park, and building a 2,000 home ‘garden village’ at Jealott’s Hill.

These three companies have formed the Jealott’s Hill consortium, which is seeking permission to develop the area.

Campaigners have argued that Syngenta does not need the 2,000 home development to fund the construction of its desired science park because the company is wealthy enough.

READ MORE: "Accident waiting to happen": Neighbour raises serious issues over new homes in Warfield

They have cited substantial payments made to Syngenta’s owners CNAC Saturn, which itself is owned by ChemChina – run by the Chinese Communist government.

CNAC Saturn itself was formed by ChemChina to enable it to acquire Syngenta, a process which was completed in 2017.

According to the campaigner’s analysis of Syngenta’s financial reports, it paid almost $6.8 billion to CNAC Saturn between 2017 and 2020.

The group, called the Save Jealott’s Hill Campaign, has used this to argue that Syngneta is rich enough to fund its grand vision of building a news science park without the need to build 2,000 homes on the site.

Save Jealott’s Hill Campaign chairman Patrick Kennedy said: “We were shocked by these figures which have emerged from the details contained within a succession of Syngenta’s Annual Reports.

“If nothing else they reveal that Syngenta could easily meet the deficit they claim exists on the development they also say they want and need. The deficit in question represents barely one per cent of the dividends paid out to Syngenta’s parents through the CNAC Saturn connection.

“The fact that Syngenta’s Chinese owners are at an advanced stage in plans to list Syngenta on the Shanghai stock market at a valuation in the region of $50bn makes it indisputably clear that the proposal for Jealott’s Hill is nothing more than a greedy company trying to  monetise its land assets at the expense of the local Green Belt by using the threat of future job losses as a means of pressurising our local authority to facilitate their desires.”

READ MORE: The four developments for 3,343 homes that could change the face of Bracknell

A spokesperson for the Jealott’s Hill consortium argued that although Syngenta significantly invests in Jealott’s Hill already, it cannot invest such massive resources into a development which is intended for third party use as well.

Adding: “Syngenta currently invests some £200m each year into R&D funding into Jealott’s Hill and, whilst the company is committed to investing in its own facilities and buildings, there is no viable commercial investment case that can be made to divert R&D funds into significant capital investment to create additional space for third party collaborators.

“Therefore, the new homes would cross subsidise the wider Science & Innovation Park, as well as funding new infrastructure within the garden village.

“For Jealott’s Hill to continue to thrive as an International Research Centre it must change to become a place that fosters collaborative and open innovation.

“Syngenta wants to invest in new facilities suited to today’s R&D practices, becoming the anchor institution as part of a wider world-leading collaborative science eco-system designed to maximise idea exchange and accelerate progress in feeding the world in the most sustainable way.

“Together this attractive place and improved local transport network will attract science companies, start-ups and more collaborations delivering solutions to address climate change, sustainable food production and clean energy, protecting 850 jobs on the site and creating thousand more job opportunities and benefits for the region.”

READ MORE: A look at who's behind the massive plans at Jealott's Hill

The campaigners have bitterly opposed the scheme to build on Jealott’s Hill because it involves construction on the Green Belt.

The plans for Jealott’s Hill are in their embryonic stages. In order for any plans to go ahead, the land itself has to be allocated for development and approved in the Emerging Bracknell Forest Local Plan.

Jealott’s Hill has indeed been identified as a location for a new ‘garden village’ in the Local Plan, which states 115.7 hectares of land should be removed from the green belt to make way for the settlement.

However, the plan itself needs to pass an independent review by the Government’s Planning Inspectorate first before any of it to be acted on.

Once that is done, then developers can begin submitting planning applications to Bracknell Forest Council.

The Emerging Bracknell Forest Local Plan was meant to be submitted in early summer, however this has been pushed back.

A spokesperson for Bracknell Forest Council said:  “Following public consultation the intention of the council is to submit the plan in late October/early November. All current information can be found on our website.”