A former brewery in south Reading will become four warehouses, despite concerns about the impact of the plans on the environment.
The 8.5 acre plot of land, owned by Arlington, is part of the old Courage Brewery bottling plant near junction 11 of the M4.
The warehouses will be located at the Reading International Logistics Park, off Basingstoke Road.
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Reading councillors approved the plans for the site, despite some concerns over the environmental impact.
Praising the plan, Cllr Emmett McKenna said the proposal would bring the land back into employment use and Cllr Jane Stanford-Beale said the committee “should not lose sight of employment need”.
Concerns were raised by some councillors about loss of biodiversity and other ecological issues.
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While Arlington said the proposal would deliver a net biodiversity gain of more than 17 per cent, the council’s own ecology expert disagreed.
Councillor Karen Rowland said she “kind of despairs” at the loss of some biodiversity and said the plan is not “forward-thinking” but voted for the plan.
Meanwhile, Councillor Josh Williams highlighted that Reading Borough Council’s (RBC) ecologist had concluded there is not evidence the plans will bring biodiversity gains and asked which he should believe.
Officers could only tell him: “It is a professional difference of opinion.”
The plan was passed with only Cllr Williams voting against it, while Cllr Ayo Sokale abstained after also raising concerns about the environmental impact.
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