Huge 620 home Reading development clears major plan hurdle

The massive Reading Metropolitan development at the old Royal Mail depot site at 80 Caversham Road was approved in March 2022.

Now, a year later, the owners of the site have cleared a crucial planning hurdle which means that more work on the development can go ahead.

In other news, changes are coming to a café in the train station and a plan for three homes in West Reading has been refused.

You can view the applications by typing the references in brackets into the council’s planning portal.

Reading Metropolitan development moves ahead (182252)

The 620 home Reading Metropolitan development. Credit: Hermes / TP Bennet

The huge Reading Metropolitan development for 620 homes in Caversham Road can go ahead.

At the end of March last year, Reading Borough Council’s planning committee approved the development subject to a Section 106 legal agreement being signed with the council.

READ MORE: Reading clash over 620 home plan that has only 94 car spaces

If the developers Hermes Property Unit Trust failed to do that, the project would have been refused.

However, the S106 has been signed, which means the developers will now have to submit a reserved matters application providing details of how it will look.

Rebranding of Pumpkin Café at train station (230281)

Pumpkin Café, platform 7, Reading train station. Credit: Allen Associates (Image: Allen Architecture)

Here, applicants Select Service Partner (SSP) are seeking to rebrand the  Pumpkin Café at platform 7 of Reading station into a Café Local.

Conversion would involve external signage with navy and white branding and internal modifications.

Earlier this year, SSP applied for a licence to sell alcohol at a proposed Café Local at platforms 8/9, which will be subject to a committee hearing on April 13 after an objection from a commuter.

Plan for three homes in West Reading refused (221710)

The rear of 19-21 Western Elms Avenue, where Infill Land Constructions Ltd wants to build three town houses. Credit: Google Maps

A plan to build three four-bedroom houses to the rear of 19-21 Western Elms Avenue has been rejected.

The homes would have been contained within one new building, on a site that is currently overgrown.

However, the plan was refused by James Crosbie, the council’s assistant director of planning, who argued that the new homes would harm biodiversity in the area, and future occupants would have limited amenity space.

A similar plan for the site, reference 220582, was also refused in July last year.

Plan for larger bedroom at Caversham home (230406)

50 Sheridan Avenue, Caversham. Credit: Google Maps

The owners of 50 Sheridan Avenue, Caversham have applied to build a first floor extension to provide for a larger bedroom.

The house is semi-detached and currently benefits from a single storey extension.

The plan involves building on top of the existing extension to provide more space for one of the bedrooms and an additional utility room.

The existing extension provides the owners with a study and shower.