Planning permission granted for weather centre HQ

A university’s plans for a European weather centre headquarters have been approved.

The University of Reading was granted planning permission by Wokingham Borough Council for the development, which will house 300 scientists in a sustainably-designed facility.

Construction is expected to begin later this year, with the project due to complete in autumn 2026.

Minister Alex Burghart said: “Reading is the ideal location for this new headquarters.”

The European Centre for Medium-Range Weather Forecasts (ECMWF) is currently in Shinfield Road.

The new development would see it move next to the university’s department of meteorology, creating one of the world’s largest clusters of weather and climate scientists.

The university's vice-chancellor, Prof Robert Van de Noort, said: "We already collaborate closely with our ECMWF colleagues and look forward to welcoming them onto our campus.

"This development will further strengthen our partnership with ECMWF, allowing our scientists to work even more closely together on environmental research to address global challenges."

Mr Burghart said: “Reading is the ideal location for this new headquarters, perfectly positioned to access the university’s strong talent pipeline and create fantastic new opportunities for the next generation."

The project is funded by the UK government through the Department for Science, Innovation and Technology. The application was submitted by the Government Property Agency (GPA).

Clive Anderson, director of capital projects at GPA, said it hoped to deliver "smart, modern, sustainable and digitally connected workplaces that focus on supporting productivity and wellbeing".

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