Plan for 130 flats to replace Reading landmark update

The town’s iconic gas tower was brought down last year to the despair of many, so that it can be replaced with three new apartment buildings.

But progress on the project has been slow, with developers submitting vital information recently to the council.

READ MORE: Reading gas holder will be demolished and replaced with 'prison-like' flats

Elsewhere, offices can be converted into flats in the town centre, and substantial plans have been submitted for changes to a building in a row of shops in Tilehurst.

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

Progress on Gas Holder plan as vital information submitted (231060)

A CGI of the view of what the 130 flats will look like that will replace the demolished gas tower in East Reading. Credit: Boyer

Slow progress is being made for the project to build 130 homes at the old gas holder site in East Reading.

The gas holder was dismantled last year. Now, developer Danescroft has submitted details of its groundwork investigation to Reading Borough Council for approval.

READ MORE: Demolition project for gas tower clears vital hurdle 

Danescroft contractors have conducted a site investigation and report, a geoenvironmental and geotechnical site assessment, and a controlled waters quantitative risk assessment.

These assessments and reports must be approved by the council’s planning department before the construction of the three apartment buildings can start.

Conversion of offices into flats in town centre approved (230659)

65 St Marys Butts, Reading. Credit: James Aldridge, Local Democracy Reporting Service

The company Warrant Investments Plc has won permission to convert floors above the Biryani Mama restaurant from offices into flats.

The address, 64-65 St Mary’s Butts contains Biryani Mama and an as yet unprepared restaurant unit, replacing the Ask Italian that closed during the pandemic.

Approval means work can start converting the first and second floors from offices into flats, with each floor containing one one-bed and one two-bed apartment.

Each flat comes with a shower room, with the master bedrooms in the two-bed apartments coming with an ensuite.

Flat plan for air conditioning shop in Tilehurst (231028)

266 Kentwood Hill, Tilehurst, subject of plans for parts of the building to be converted into housing. Credit: Google Maps

Here, the owner of 266 Kentwood Hill in Tilehurst wants to convert part of the building occupied by an air conditioning company into a studio flat.

The building sits within a terrace of shops with flats above.

The plan to convert the rear space of 266 Kentwood Hill in Tilehurst into a studio flat. Credit: Savoy

The plan is to convert the rear of the ground floor of the building into a studio flat, with the Industrial Air Limited company continuing to operate at the front.

Conversion of rear of Tilehurst building into one or two flats (231029 and 231030)

Two further plans have been submitted for 266 Kentwood Hill.

The plan to convert the rear garage of 266 Kentwood Hill in Tilehurst into a studio flat. Credit: Savoy

Application 231029 would see the rear detached garage converted into one studio flat, with no proposed changes to the exterior of the garage.

Meanwhile, application 231030 would involve converting the rear of the building and the detached garage to create two studio flats, effectively a hybrid of applications 231028 and 231029. Each flat would come with one cycle space.