A Tesco car park, a busy college and a library building are among places which could soon be replaced with hundreds of homes.

Reading Borough Council is currently undertaking a partial update of the Reading Local Plan which was adopted in 2019.

Changes needed to be made to ensure the Local Plan is up to date. As part of this update, the council issued a ‘call for sites’ for places which could be suitable for new development, primarily for new homes.

Since that call was made, 17 sites were nominated by landowners and speculators.

That excludes three sites proposed for development which the council owns.

READ MORE: Listed: Nine huge sites that could be turned into thousands of homes in Reading

While a number of huge office buildings have been nominated for conversion into apartments, eight other sites have been suggested as new places for housing as well.

You can view these sites, including a proposed development at an old council-owned library below.

Tesco Extra car park 

Reading Chronicle: The car park of the Tesco Extra in Napier Road, Reading. Credit: Google MapsThe car park of the Tesco Extra in Napier Road, Reading. Credit: Google Maps

The Tesco Extra in Napier Road could have between 100-200 homes built on it. Alternatively, The northeastern section of the car park could be used as space for additional retail activity.

Part of Reading College 

Reading Chronicle: The Reading Rep Theatre in the grounds of Reading College.The Reading Rep Theatre in the grounds of Reading College. (Image: Google Maps)

The eastern part of Reading College in King’s Road, which encompasses the Reading Rep Theatre could become a fully residential development of 45 homes provided that the theatre is not lost. This part of the college site could also become a mixed-use development.

Tunbridge Jones 

Reading Chronicle: The Tunbridge Jones Business Centre in Cradock Road, Katesgrove. Credit: Google MapsThe Tunbridge Jones Business Centre in Cradock Road, Katesgrove. Credit: Google Maps

The Tunbridge Jones Business Park in Cradock Road, Katesgrove could be transformed into a 72-96 home development, or redeveloped for employment uses.

Kennet Island former marketing suite 

Reading Chronicle: The former Kennet Island marketing suite in Drake Way, Whitley, suggested as a site for development. Credit: Google MapsThe former Kennet Island marketing suite in Drake Way, Whitley, suggested as a site for development. Credit: Google Maps

The Kennet Island marketing suite in Drake Way, Whitley is closed, and could host 23 homes according to developers Berkeley Homes.

Meanwhile, council planners have suggested 14 homes in line with an expired planning permission for the site.

Green Park Village 

A temporary construction compound used for workers who built Green Park Station in Flagstaff Road is no longer in use, meaning the site could become a 50-home development with affordable housing.

An alternative would be to turn over the site for office or commercial uses.

Land west of Milford Road

Reading Chronicle: Land west of Milford Road in the Bell Tower area of Reading.Land west of Milford Road in the Bell Tower area of Reading. (Image: Google Maps)

A landowner has suggested that around 70 homes could be built on land west of Milford Road in the Bell Tower area near the town centre.

The site is currently made up of industrial units and a car park.

Council planners have suggested only the vacant land should be built on as a site for approximately 10-15 homes.

Berkeley Avenue 

Reading Chronicle: The Berkeley Gardens Day Nursery at the junction of Berkeley Avenue and Portway Close in Coley. Credit: Google MapsThe Berkeley Gardens Day Nursery at the junction of Berkeley Avenue and Portway Close in Coley. Credit: Google Maps

The junction of Berkeley Avenue and Portway Close, the site of Berkeley Gardens Day Nursery could be redeveloped into housing.

Proposals include conversion to 10-12 homes, site redevelopment to provide 25-35, or conversion and redevelopment to provide 20-30 homes.

Land at 132-134 Bath Road

Reading Chronicle: 132-134 Bath Road, Reading, the Sterling Cars site, near the Tesco fuel station in Southcote. Credit: Google Maps132-134 Bath Road, Reading, the Sterling Cars site, near the Tesco fuel station in Southcote. Credit: Google Maps

The Sterling Cars site and workshop near the Tesco fuel station in Bath Road could be redeveloped to make way for 44 homes and new commercial space. 

Southcote Library 

Reading Chronicle: The Southcote Library building which closed in 2018. Credit: Google MapsThe Southcote Library building which closed in 2018. Credit: Google Maps (Image: Google Maps)

The old Southcote Library which is council-owned is set to be redeveloped into council housing and space for community use.

Sites already approved for development

Of the 20 sites contained in the Local Plan partial update, two have already been approved for development.

Hexham Road

Reading Chronicle: A CGI of the day care centre and 42 home building at Hexham Road, Whitley, site of the former The Willows care home. Credit: Hampshire County Council Property Services / Shrimplin Planning and Development

The council’s plan to redevelop The Willows care home site in Hexham Road was approved in November.

Work can begin on constructing 42 homes and a daycare centre on the site.

Upper Crown Street

Reading Chronicle: A CGI of what the apartment blocks and terraced houses will look like in Upper Crown Street, Reading. Credit: Colony ArchitectsA CGI of what the apartment blocks and terraced houses will look like in Upper Crown Street, Reading. Credit: Colony Architects

Irongate Property won approval for its plan to redevelop a car park in Upper Crown Street into 46 homes in October.

The development will be made up of 42 flats and a terrace of four three-bedroom homes.