Designs for a huge new community containing more than 600 apartments in South Reading have been given the go-ahead.
The designs relate to Royal Elm Park, a project that will see 618 new apartments, an ice rink, a convention centre and more built next to the Reading FC stadium.
That is just one of the planning decisions made by Reading Borough Council recently.
Elsewhere, an office building can be converted into 78 flats, and a new clothing and piercing store is in trouble over its shopfront.
You can view each application by typing the reference in brackets into the council’s planning portal.
Details for huge Royal Elm Park project approved (PL/25/0837)
Designs for the huge Royal Elm Park project for 626 flats and more next to the Select Car Leasing Stadium in Whitley.
Specifically, the details relate to the ‘design code’ of the development, which lays out the masterplan for Royal Elm Park.
The development will provide 618 new homes, a 246-bedroom hotel, up to 102 serviced apartments, a convention centre, an ice rink and a Reading FC Garden of Remembrance.
The design code was approved on October 28, nine years after outline plans for the project were submitted in 2016.
Abbey Wharf offices set for conversion into flats (PL/25/1059)
A prominent office building in the town centre can be converted into a total of 78 flats.
Abbey Wharf is situated along Kings Road, above the bank of the River Kennet, served as a business centre for years, and even received upgrade works in 2019.
But now the building owner, Mountley Ltd, has won permission to convert the building into 27 studio flats, 43 one-bedroom and eight two-bedroom flats.
The project has been granted through permitted development rights that allow commercial buildings to be converted into housing without full planning permission.
New clothing and piercing store in trouble over shopfront (PL/25/1099)
The Blue Banana clothing and piercing store is in trouble over the look of its shopfront signage.
The store opened in Broad Street at the former Anne Summers shop recently.
However, its signage was put up without the permission of the council.
Planning officer Ethne Humphreys judged that the signage is an ‘obtrusive and unsympathetic addition’ to 95 Broad Street, which is listed.
Fresh plan for housing in Southcote (PL/25/1124)
A fresh plan has been submitted at an unused site in Southcote.
An applicant has submitted a plan to build two two-bedroom semi-detached homes contained within one building to the rear of Parkside Road with access via Wingrove Road.
A previous plan to build one five-bedroom home on the same site was rejected in August.
