Sainsbury’s have announced plans to open in a Berkshire village where  thousands of homes are being built.

Arborfield is a village south of Reading in Wokingham Borough which has been earmarked for 3,500 homes as part of the Arborfield Garrison Major Development.

Recently, Sainsbury’s announced plans to open in Arborfield Green.

Sainsbury’s Property Director Patrick Dunne said: “We are delighted to announce our plans to invest in a fantastic new store in Arborfield, which will generate jobs for the community and improve shopping choice for local people.

“We will continue to provide updates and seek feedback from residents, businesses and other local stakeholders as our plans progress to ensure we deliver the best possible store.”

READ MORE: ‘Unimaginative’ 73-home Arborfield development layout approved

The store is predicted to create around 75 jobs in the local area, comprising a mix of management and entry-level positions, as well as supporting additional jobs throughout the construction phase.

The proposed store would include an an instore Click & Collect service where customers will be able to get Sainsbury’s, Argos, Habitat and Tu clothing items delivered.

The village is currently served by a Co-op which opened in Bramshill Close in October 2021.

Detailed plans for the Sainsbury’s store are expected to be submitted in the near future.

The Local Democracy Reporting Service asked members of the Arborfield Community Facebook page what they thought about the news.

Reactions were mixed, with some welcoming the new store, and other raising concerns about increased traffic.

Christine Ann West said: “I shop online with Sainsburys and can’t wait for the one in Arborfield.”

Emma Staveley said: “It will be useful but the issue is that Arborfield is growing year on year and the infrastructure is not able to cope – roads are already packed – additional cars are undoubtedly going to lead to more traffic and accidents.

“Town planners need to consider how the area can support the number of homes popping up or it’s going to become a disaster area.”

READ MORE: 700 sign petition as residents ‘lose trust’ in developers village centre promise

Meanwhile, Jon Hayns was sceptical, arguing the new store is too small and would cause traffic issues throughout Arborfield.

Mr Hayns said: “It’s laughable to be honest. What’s going to happen when the Leopard meets a Sainsbury articulated lorry coming the other way on the stupidly wiggly part of the Nine Mile Ride extension let alone during Bohunt drop off times?

“The whole area will grind to a halt. A ‘neighbour hub’ store which is stated as being along the lines of a “convenience store” isn’t going to be large enough.

“It won’t hold the lines or stock to warrant local shopping and will subsequently suffer the same ‘plague of locust’ syndrome that the Co-op suffers from due to demand.

“The size will mean it will not carry the variety of stock lines leading to increassed journeys to a decent sized store.”