Work on a huge development near the Reading FC stadium which will include an ice rink, hotel, convention centre and apartments is finally getting off the ground.
Years ago, the Reading FC Property Company won approval for a massive development next to the Stadium for The Royals in Whitley.
Dubbed ‘Royal Elm Park’ land surrounding the stadium is set to be built on to provide hundreds of apartments, a convention centre, an ice rink and a hotel.
Little has been heard about the development since it was approved in November 2018. But now Reading FC Property Company is starting to move ahead with the project.
The company recently submitted evidence that work has begun.
READ MORE: Progress made for 600 flats, hotel, conference centre and more near football stadium
The development is so large that it has been split into phases, with car and transport infrastructure being established first, then the elements such as the proposed convention centre and apartments being built after.
The latest news is that the Reading FC Company has begun work on the foundations of a multi-storey car park and offices, which is phase 1 of the development.
Photos provided by Rolfe & Sons groundwork specialists show the foundations of the building being laid.
When a developer is granted planning approval, they must begin work on the planning permission within a deadline.
If this deadline is passed, the planning consent will become lapsed, forcing the developer to submit a new application.
In this case, the clock was ticking as the deadline given to begin work on the car park, convention centre, ice rink, hotel and apartments was reached on Thursday, November 23.
A letter from Reading FC Property Company’s planning agents Stantec states that negotiations for the beginning of works for Royal Elm Park took place earlier this year, which has saved the planning permission from being lapsed.
The new car park will contain 616 car parking spaces made up of 581 regular spaces, 35 accessible spaces, 13 motorbike spaces and 295 bicycle ranks.
The building will also contain 1,972 square metres of office space set across five-storeys.
You can view the application by typing reference 231715 into the council’s planning portal.
Once the multi-storey car park is built, the company can begin work on the remaining phases of the development. These are:
Phase 2: access roads and transport interchange
Phase 3: the convention centre and ice rink
Phase 3A: a residential block containing 196 apartments
Phase 4: the Royal Elm Square and Royal Elm Gardens public space and park
Phase 4A: access to Green Park
Phases 5-7: residential apartments
It is understood that the car parking spaces will be used by football fans on matchdays, as much of the existing surface level parking will be taken up by the Royal Elm Park development.
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