A huge project for more than 550 apartments in Reading could be torpedoed at a crunch meeting.
A plan to replace the Napier Court offices with 570 apartments is one of the biggest projects that have emerged in Reading over the last few years.
It involves the demolition of the three Napier Court offices, which have been partly vacant for the last three years, with the last tenant moving out last summer.
The site is located in Napier Road, with Tesco Extra being located at the end of the road.
The project has been called ‘ Kings Meadow View’ as future occupants would live directly opposite the beauty spot.
The investment company Peveril Securities submitted the plan for four blocks with the tallest reaching 11 storeys in July 2024.
These buildings would be made up of 211 one-bed, 305 two-bed and 54 three-bed apartments, with 29 of these being accessible for disabled people.
Future occupants would make use of 33 car parking spaces, 316 bicycle spaces and six motorcycle spaces.
A verdict on the project is due to be made at a meeting of Reading Borough Council’s planning committee.
The development is set to be rejected as principal planning officer Matt Burns has recommended that it be refused.
Remarkably, one of the reasons for refusal would be the impact it could have on a future East Reading Mass Rapid Transit (MRT) scheme.
The East Reading MRT scheme would have created a public transport and active travel route between Thames Valley Park in Earley and Vastern Road, utilising Napier Road.
But the scheme failed in 2018 due to disagreements over the validity of the plans.
The MRT was approved by Reading councillors but rejected by Wokingham Borough Council’s planning committee, preventing a crucial element of the scheme, which would have created a road bridge over the Kennet Mouth.
Other identified issues include the lack of affordable housing provision and the failure to outline mitigation measures for Kings Meadow.
On balance, Mr Burns did point out that the project would positively answer the housing need in Reading, with an appropriate mix of one to three-bedroom flats, and recognised that they would be built in a sustainable location.
But recommending refusal, he wrote: “The proposed development fails to demonstrate that it can adequately safeguard land required for future MRT, which is a prioritised major transport project.
“Given the critical need for Affordable Housing in Reading, significant harm is identified to the Borough as a result of the proposal’s failure to provide any affordable housing.
“Failure to secure necessary off-site public realm and open space enhancements to Kings Meadow means the development would not mitigate the additional strain on social and economic infrastructure and fail to make appropriate provision towards improvement of and access to existing open space based on the needs of the development.”
A decision is due to be made at the planning meeting on April 29.
You can view the application by typing reference PL/24/0846/FUL into the council’s planning portal.
