A PLAN to knock down a Reading driving test centre and replace it with homes has been thrown out once again.
Developer, Maxika Homes, had plans to demolish the one-storey Reading Test Centre, on Elgar Road South, and replace it with an apartment block.
But the proposal has proven unpopular as it has been rejected for a third time.
In December 2021, Reading Borough Council’s planning committee refused a plan to replace the building with 18 flats contained in one apartment block.
The council’s decision criticised the application for its “poor and insecure choice of layout”, lack of information about affordable housing and having “substandard” cycle storage which would be at risk of break-ins.
Maxika Homes launched an appeal to get the rejection overturned, but government planning inspector James Blackwell dismissed it as the developers had failed to agree a financial contribution to mitigate the lack of outdoor space.
The developer suffered a fresh defeat when its latest plan for 16 apartments was refused at a planning meeting on Wednesday, December 7.
The latest application was for a three storey apartment block containing eight one-bed, seven two-bed and one three-bedroom flats.
Alison Amoah, council planning officer, stated that acceptable changes had been made from the previous application.
This involved moving cycle storage inside the building, changes to the entrance and exits to make them more secure, adapted window arrangements to provide more daylight, and the removal of front private outdoor amenity space in favour of communal space.
But these changes failed to convince the committee.
Cllr Andrew Hornsby-Smith, Labour councillor for Church, pointed out the plan did not comply with one of the council’s housing policy.
The policy states that proposals for 10 new homes or more, 50% or more of them should have at least three bedrooms.
The most recent Maxika Homes plan only proposed one three-bedroom flat.
Earlier in the meeting, Ms Amoah pointed out that Mr Blackwell sided with Maxika Homes regarding the character, appearance, cycle storage and crime prevention concerns.
Cllr Josh Williams, Green councillor for Park ward, disagreed with Mr Blackwell’s conclusions calling them “subjective”.
The main reasons for refusal were the lack of outdoor amenity space provided and the failure to comply with housing policy H2, which is outlined in the Reading Borough Local Plan 2019.
