A bungalow that was purchased for more than £1.2 million in Caversham is set to be replaced with a state-of-the-art modern home.
The Moorings bungalow in Upper Warren Avenue was bought for £1,276,000 in November 2021.
The house comes with three bedrooms with a separate living room, kitchen a family bathroom and a toilet.
But in October 2022, the owner submitted a plan to demolish it and replace it with a modern new home with double the number of bedrooms, a gym and a detached garage.
Plans show the home coming with a double bedroom, study and living facilities on the ground floor, and five bedrooms and a family bathroom on the first floor.
The project was assessed by Reading Borough Council planning officer Nathalie Weekes, who addressed the impact replacing the bungalow would have on wildlife, the environment and character of the area.
There was concern that demolition and construction of the new home would disrupt a ‘green link’ used by badgers, hedgehogs and other protected species.
Officer Weekes wrote: “The site is located within a green link with priority species in the area.
“The proposed replacement dwelling is set in a large garden, mainly centred on the original footprint.
“It will however result in a loss of biodiversity on site due to the loss of hedging, grass and vegetation to the front of the site to accommodate the driveway and outside seating area, to the rear of the replacement building with a patio area and for seating to the front of the outbuilding at the end of the garden.”
Ultimately she judged the new home would ‘provide for a good standard
of amenity for future occupiers’ and would not negatively impact neighbours.
The replacement home was approved on the condition that details of biodiversity enhancements must be submitted to the council for approval.
These details must include integrated bird and bat boxes and wildlife friendly landscaping such as gaps in fences to allow hedgehogs to pass the site.
Furthermore, a construction method statement to determine the demolition and construction work must be submitted to the council for approval.
This statement would lay out when work would take place each day, and how the impact of these works would be mitigated.
No construction method statement has been submitted yet, therefore The Moorings remains in place.
Permission to build the new home is valid for three years, meaning the development must begin before the expiry date in April next year.
You can view the approved application by typing reference PL/22/1625 into the council’s planning portal.
