A clash is due over the conversion of an old school site into more than 60 homes in Caversham.
Hemdean House was an independent school in Hemdean Road that closed in July 2024.
Now the development company Churchill Living has applied to turn the site into a total of 62 homes.
But objections have been raised over the impact of the proposal on parking, road safety and how it will meet Reading’s housing needs.
The development would create 51 retirement apartments, the conversion of the former School House to create 10 one-bed open market apartments, and the conversion of the former gate house into a single house.
The Gate House is currently occupied by the Play Day Nursery, but information in the plan states the nursery’s lease was renewed until October this year.
The plan has received 112 comments from neighbours to the application that has been submitted to Reading Borough Council.
One neighbour wrote: “I am not a NIMBY, and I understand that things change, but I am very worried that a series of questions remain unanswered about the development.”
They went on to question how many more cars will be added to the roads from the development, and the impact that will have on traffic and road safety, with the objector calling for a 20mph zone to be created.
The retirement home would come with 16 parking spaces and three visitor spaces.
Meanwhile, each of the one-bed flats created in the schoolhouse would have one parking space.
The Lodge House would come with two spaces, with seven unallocated spaces.
The resident added: “I’m concerned that the site is listed as brownfield – this is inaccurate.
“There are several trees located there, a large area of lawn and several areas offering wildlife sanctuary space.”
A report by consultancy firm TetraTech states a 17.29 increase in biodiversity will be achieved by the development.
A fellow neighbour, while not objecting to the project in principle, disputed the need for more retirement housing in Caversham specifically.
They listed the Beechwood Grove retirement home in Albert Road, Crayshaw Court in Abbotsmead Place and the upcoming retirement complex at Caversham Park as examples.
Arguing for the development, an agent from Planning Issues cited an increase in the percentage of over-65s in Reading to 12 per cent of the population in 2021.
They wrote: “Given the identified need and lack of current units on the open market, it is evident that there is a need for retirement housing in the locality and the 51 units proposed through this development would aid in meeting this requirement.”
On the development as a whole, the agent wrote: “The proposed redevelopment of the site will provide an additional 62 units of housing, which will be delivered within the next five years, will significantly assist the Council in meeting its housing targets and should be given substantial weight when considering the planning balance.”
You can view the application by typing reference PL/26/0138 into the council’s planning portal.
