Progress is being made on a huge development of more than 200 homes north of Reading.
Work continues on building 223 homes for the Emmer Green Drive development, which is being built on the former Reading Golf Course.
Crucial details of the project have been approved by Reading Borough Council’s planning department.
That is just one of the plans that have been approved by the council recently.
Elsewhere, an adjustment has been made to an upcoming retirement community at Caversham Park, and sustainability measures will be installed at two major buildings in Reading itself.
You can view each approved application by typing the reference in brackets into the council’s planning portal.
Progress made on Emmer Green Drive development (PL/25/0708)
Vistry Thames Valley, the consortium that is building 223 homes at the former Reading Golf Course, continues to make progress on the Emmer Green Drive development.
Satellite imagery shows that some of the homes have been built already, and named roads within the development, such as The Fairway, Barnes Road and James Braid Drive, have been established.
The latest news in planning terms is that the security strategy for the development was approved on April 20.
The strategy lays out how the site will be secured, particularly for residents living in apartments.
Adjustments to retirement community at Caversham Park (PL/26/0246)
The landmark project to transform Caversham Park into a retirement community was approved by the council earlier this year.
The mansion site was used by BBC Monitoring until the corporation vacated it in 2018.
That cleared the way for Beechcroft Developments to transform the site into a total of 197 places to live.
The company has won permission for minor adjustments, which involve retaining an existing ancillary store for use as a cycle store for assisted living units, and the installation of a separate detached cycle store and plant room for the care home.
New heating system for Reading College (PL/26/0050)
A new heating system will be installed at Reading College to replace the existing carbon‑based heat network.
This involves installing three air source heat pumps and a thermal storage battery.
Supporting the project, planning officer Huimin Chen wrote that the new heat pumps would contribute positively to improving air quality and reducing the effects of poor air quality, through decreasing reliance on fossil fuels.
Air handling units at Royal Berkshire Hospital maternity block (PL/26/0260)
The Royal Berkshire NHS Foundation Trust has won permission for rooftop air handling units at the south block of the hospital.
This block, accessed from Craven Road, contains the maternity ward.
It is understood that the installations are classed as permitted development, with the council’s planning department signing off on the works on April 20.
