Reading driving test centre could become 18 flats

Maxika Homes has submitted plans to Reading Borough Council (RBC) to knock down the Reading Driving Test Centre at 220-222 Elgar Road and build 18 apartments.

The plans for a new three-and-a-half storey apartment block include eight one-bed flats, nine two-bed flats and one three-bed flat, with 12 car parking spaces and a 10-space cycle store.

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If the Reading centre closes, the nearest driving test centres to Reading will be in Newbury, High Wycombe, Farnborough, Basingstoke and Slough.

Maxika Homes says it recognise the need for more housing in Reading and has sought advice from RBC to find the most appropriate way to meet this demand.

Reading Driving Test Centre

The developer says its plans would be a “suitable intensification” for the area around Elgar Road and would be a sustainable, high-quality development.

And it says the residential development would make more efficient use of the and better compliment the surrounding area.

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The developer states in the application: “[The current building] provides an uncomfortable transition in terms of scale.

“This issue is exacerbated by the flat roof form of the existing building against the prevailing pitched roof forms found on the western side of Elgar Road.

“The combination of these factors mean that the existing building looks disproportionate in the street scene and disrupts the general character of the area.”