Developers have made substantial progress at a major new housing site in Reading.

The buildings which form the Huntley Wharf development have shot up, with the developers now submitting information about construction and ground works on the site.

Elsewhere, the council has finally selected and applied for a place for Gypsies and Travellers to pitch up in the borough, nearby the Reading sewage works.

You can view plans by putting the reference numbers in brackets into the council’s planning website here: http://planning.reading.gov.uk/fastweb_PL/welcome.asp

Discharge of condition for huge Huntley Wharf project (220043)

The huge Huntley Wharf development off Kenavon Drive is progressing well, with construction works taking place on most of the buildings.

The development was approved in October 2018, and involves building 765 new homes on the site of the former Homebase and Toys R Us stores.

Recently, the developers Berkeley Group completed all remediation work across the site, with the developers beginning work on the third block.

An application has been submitted to Reading Borough Council to confirm the remediation work and contaminated land surveys had been completed.

You can view the plans for Huntley Wharf by typing reference 170509 into the planning portal.

Gypsy and Traveller pitches near Reading sewage works (212037)

Reading Borough Council has submitted a plan for a Gypsy and Traveller site next to the Reading Sewage and Treatment Works in Island Road.

The site will give the temporary users a place to stay, with seven pitches provided.

Rather than just having places to put their vehicles, any Gypsies and Travellers staying at the site would also be able to make use of a toilet, sink and a shower contained in four modular buildings.

As well as that the site will have an outdoor seating area and play area for children.

It is hoped that the site will reduce the amount of illegal encampments by Gypsies and Travellers in Reading, as more than £300,000 has been spent on tackling unauthorised encampments in the borough in the last five years.

The plan for the site is a joint venture between Reading Borough Council and Hampshire County Council.

There were discussions about setting up a Traveller site in Richfield Avenue, but these were scrapped in favour of having a new secondary school built on the site instead.

Plan to build new house  for ‘backland development’ in West Reading (201388)

A developer has applied to build a new house containing  two new semi-detached homes to the rear of 14 and 16 in Wantage Road, West Reading.

It involves demolishing existing outbuildings, with the new house facing out onto Wilson Road.

Each of the homes would be identical, providing a kitchen dining room, a separate living room and a toilet downstairs.

Upstairs, two double-bedrooms would be created, with the new occupants sharing a toilet and shower.