Progress is being made for the project to replace a former fire station with new homes in Tilehurst.
Site images from December 2023 show demolition vehicles levelling the Dee Road Fire Station in Norcot, which was closed in 2021.
Now, the developer Bellway Homes has won approval to make all the affordable homes in the development available through cheaper rents.
Elsewhere in the Norcot estate, improvements to 13 homes have been approved, and the installation of new heating systems has been confirmed at council homes in Whitley.
These decisions were made at Reading Borough Council’s planning applications committee meeting on Wednesday, January 8.
You can view each approved application by typing the reference in brackets into the council’s planning portal.
Affordable homes change for former fire station development (PL/24/1499)
Bellway Homes has won approval to make changes to its project to build 54 homes at the former Dee Road fire station site.
When the project was approved in May 2023, Bellway Homes was committed to providing 10 affordable rent and six through shared ownership.
The developer has now won approval to make all 16 affordable units available at Reading Affordable Rent levels.
Bellway also changed one of the designated affordable units from a flat to a three-bed house.
Planning officer Steve Vigar said: “In planning terms, this is seen as an improvement in terms of the affordability of the tenure type.”
Agreeing, councillor Jo Lovelock (Labour, Norcot) said: “I’m really pleased to see this, it’s a good development but having that extra house rather than a flat, which is great, but also that it’s all affordable rent rather than shared ownership.
“Shared ownership can have its place, but I think these units will be very useful in terms of dealing with people who are desperately waiting for somewhere to live.”
Her comment was echoed by Matt Yeo (Labour, Caversham), lead councillor for housing.
The project was unanimously approved by the committee.
Improvements to council houses in Tilehurst (PL/24/1257)
Improvements have been made to 13 council houses in Lyndhurst Road, Tilehurst.
The improvement project involved the installation of triple-glazed windows, renewal of flat roof coverings, external structural repairs, renewal of pitched roof tiles, and the installation of external wall insulation.
Cllr Yeo said: “This is good news for local residents, and it improves the sustainability of these properties.”
The upgrades were unanimously approved retrospectively as the works were completed in November 2023.
While cllr Doug Cresswell (Green, Katesgrove) welcomed the project, he questioned why it had taken the council’s housing team so long to submit an application for the works.
Agreeing, cllr Jan Gavin (Labour, Caversham) said: “We shouldn’t be looking at retrospective applications, however wonderful they are.”
Air source heat pump installation for Whitley council flats (PL/23/0909)
Councillors also retrospectively approved the installation of 18 air-source heat pumps at 56-90 Bamburgh Close in Redlands ward.
The units were installed in June 2023, with the plans being unanimously approved.
Cllr Andrew Hornsby-Smith (Labour, Church) said: “Particularly at this time when people are struggling to pay energy costs, and we’re trying to deal with climate change, it’s very welcome that we’re investing in this thermal efficiency.
