A landmark project to build nearly 600 flats in Reading town centre has received a ringing endorsement.
The consortium in charge of the Station Hill development revealed detailed plans to build 598 apartments last September.
The project involves the demolition of Xafinity House, previously called the Hogg Robinson building, to make way for two new apartment buildings.
The development will be car-free, save for four disabled spaces, and provide 75 affordable rent flats.
While outlines for the project were approved back in 2021, because of the scale of the development and the details involved, a decision on the project was made at a meeting of Reading Borough Council’s planning applications committee.
Councillor David Stevens (Labour, Abbey), who represents the town centre, said: “I remember the old bus station and the Hogg Robinson building, and frankly it’s not difficult to make an improvement on that.
“But what they have done, I think, is excellent. We’ve seen what the developers have already done at Station Hill and Ebb & Flow, and frankly, if they continue with that level of quality, the public space and realm is comparable to what they’ve done already, I think it will be an excellent addition to this area.
“It’s somewhat of a backwater at the moment, there are a number of businesses, I think one pub on the corner, it’s really essentially office or closed office space; I think this will really revitalise Greyfriars Road and Garrard Street, so I think this is excellent.
“It’s a great and welcome addition.”
The area has two pubs, The Greyfriar, which has been open for 12 years, and The Gateway, which was renamed The Railway Tavern last year.
Councillors referred to the successes of previous phases of the Station Hill development, with the first being Ebb & Flow, which saw 598 flats and the Siren Craft bar created in Friar Street.
Cllr James Moore (Liberal Democrats, Tilehurst) said: “When people arrive at Reading Station, when this is done and dusted, they will no longer see dilapidated buildings or a construction site, they will see new buildings.
“Ebb & Flow looks great.”
Micky Leng (Labour, Whitley), lead councillor for planning, repeated the words of former councillor Tony Page from a previous meeting when the outline project was determined.
He said: “This is a major regeneration of the area, and more importantly we have a developer committed to the town, who is willing to come forward and put their money where their mouth is and provide badly needed homes.
“There were a few grumbles on the amount of affordable housing.
“You probably wouldn’t think it on social media, but the vast majority of homes are going to people from Reading, who’ve found places in Ebb & Flow.
On the new project, he said: “It’s car-free, which I am not the greatest fan of, as everybody knows, but if it can work, it will work in the town centre.
“With some developers I’ve dealt with, they will tell you what you want to hear to get their application over the line.
“And quite frankly, if they told me it was raining I would open the curtains and check.”
He then referred to the developer agreeing to a commemoration plinth for Glen Edwards, the crane operator who saved colleagues during the Station Hill fire in November 2023, following negotiation with planning officer Stephen Vigar.
Cllr Leng said: “No problems, they just went about and did it. They care about the town, they care about the residents.
On tall buildings, he said: “I actually like it, it’s big and bold, let’s see it.
“When people come in by train, lets see that we’re a modern town.
“That’s just a town, not a city, I’m quite happy being a town. ”
The details for the 598 flats were unanimously approved yesterday (August 12).
You can view the application by typing reference PL/26/0415/REM into the council’s planning portal.
