A defunct Reading club which has stood for decades is set to be replaced with a huge six-storey apartment building.
The Curzon Club in Oxford Road was previously used as a private members club and hireable venue with two bars, a dance floor and accommodation.
But the club fell into decline and has been closed since 2020.
Now, the club building will be demolished and replaced with a six-storey building containing 30 flats.
The proposed development was discussed at a meeting of Reading Borough Council’s planning applications committee.
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The scheme received praise from members for providing affordable housing and the architect Chris Keen, who lives nearby, for creating a sympathetic design for the new building.
Councillor Karen Rowland (Labour, Abbey) said: “It’s well designed by a very local person that really is passionate about the area, I think it shows.
“It is a large development, it will be noticeable, it will be a formidable building, but I do think by the choice of materials that we’ve got a really good proposal here.”
The building will contain 30 apartments, made up of 17 two-bed and 13 one-bed flats, with 30 per cent designated as affordable.
Of the affordable flats, four two-bedroom units and three one-bedroom units will be provided through affordable rent, and one two-bedroom and two one-bedroom flats will be made affordable through shared ownership.
Cllr Rowland said: “We’ve got a decent affordable housing provision here, and a developer who has gone above and beyond to listen to the community.”
The plan was meant to be decided on at a planning meeting in November, however, a verdict on it was delayed due to a question of whether the ground floor would provide community use to replace that which has been lost at the club.
The question was raised by cllr Wendy Griffiths (Labour, Battle) who led a push for the ground floor unit to possibly be reserved for a community group to use.
Planning officer Thomas Bradfield answered: “The applicants have agreed to provide community use in that space, and agreed to a condition which would allow for community use there as well as retail.”
Concern was also expressed about the impact the development will have on parking.
Cllr Griffiths said: “A big issue in Battle ward is parking. I know that there will be conversations with people living in those apartments who will not be allowed to bring cars.
“Some of those residents will want to bring more than one car, what impact is that going to have on the rest of the Battle area, where we already have quite congested roads.”
The development, submitted by City Wide Serviced Apartments headed by director Richard De Souza, provides 15 designated parking spaces. While Mr Bradfield acknowledged that is below the council’s standards, he argued that will be mitigated by the good access the site has to Reading Buses services.
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The scheme was unanimously approved at the planning meeting on Wednesday, December 6.
You can view the approved application by typing reference 221345 into the council’s planning portal.
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