'Negative' comments frustrate developers

Alan Bunce • Published 3 Sep 2009 09:34 1 Comment

STATION Hill developer Sackville has criticised the 'negative' approach of architects' body CABE after the latest setback to the scheme.

Government design watchdog CABE (Commission for Architecture and the Built Environment), has urged the council to go back to the drawing board over both the station and Station Hill redevelopment.

It criticised both schemes, complaining they make 'mutually exclusive assumptions' and said: "We urge Reading Borough Council, therefore, to develop a spatial masterplan for the wider Reading station area."

But Sackville director Jon Homan said dozens of changes had been made to accommodate CABE's complaints about the original proposals and that both the Reading Central Area Action Plan and Station Hill South Planning Brief served as masterplans.

He said: "The area is crying out for regeneration and redevelopment. It would be very disappointing and a tragedy for Reading if this became a stumbling block."

He added: "Let's stop being negative and do something that is creative and put Reading back on the map. Let's be Premier League in so far as architecture is concerned."

On the station CABE said:

* More detail was needed on how the proposed bridge connected to the station

* Pollution was a risk in the new bus interchange

* The new subway would be a 'poor quality environment' for non-passengers

CABE's Station Hill complaints include:

* Poor pedestrian movements

* The piazza could be under-used

* Tall buildings could create problems such as a microclimate

* The building leading onto Friar Street was 'out of scale' with surrounding buildings

The council said all comments would be considered but it would not make any public statements before the planning committee agenda was published.

The proposals go before planners on September 23.

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• 

  Karin Herbst
  Unregistered User
  Sep 5, 09:58
  Report comment

  Noone would dispute that the area around the station needs regenerating. But couldn't this be achieved by building in scale with the rest of the historic town centre? The proposed, extremely high-rise blocks in the middle of Reading will look completely out of proportion with their surroundings. They might indeed cause problems. Does redevelopment have to be vast? I'd suggest the proposed scheme to be scaled down to a size which blends in. This does not exclude being creative, and would be a more sustainable and far more attractive solution.
  
  Recommend?   Yes 0     No 0

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