400 new homes are being built on Reading wastelands, to offer affordable housing, as part of a £110million investment plan.

Reading Borough Council’s plan to build homes on disused land and derelict areas continues with residents moving into brand new, affordable homes across the town.

Tenants have recently moved into seven new homes in Southcote, Whitley and Church wards, with another site in Caversham close to completion.

Earlier this month, the Council approved plans to build a further 62 homes on the former Central Pool site on Battle Street.

The sites have seen an imaginative use of space and land, including an old scout hut and wasteland to help provide affordable homes for those in need.

The homes range from accessible bungalows, two-bed home, to a four-bed family home with large garden. Each following the guidelines for quality council housing and demonstrating the Council’s aims to provide for every resident.

It is part of the Council’s investment of more than £110million to provide 400 new homes. More than 100 of these are scheduled to see residents move in this year. The strategy aims to reduce the waiting list for homes.

Lead member for housing, Ellie Emberson, said: “I’m really proud of our Housing team for their diligence in finding pockets of disused land and turning them into home of such high quality that mean everything to those who move in. We have ambitious plans to build more council homes on bigger remaining sites, but each pocket of land that we can turn from a negative to a positive improves the look of its local area and means so much to yet another Reading household”.

In line with Reading’s climate emergency, all new homes are being built to Passivhaus Principles to reduce carbon footprint - A Passivhaus building aims to reduce the need to heat the building to such an extent that you don't need a conventional heating system. 

Triple glazing, air source heat pumps and solar panels are some of the sustainable techniques being used.