The redevelopment of an industrial estate that is home to a brewery in Reading has been rejected as the site could be repurposed for housing in the future.
The Meadow Road industrial estate is made up of three commercial buildings near the town centre.
It is currently occupied by Rocco Brands Group, an online greetings card supplier and Green Metro Coaches, a depot for a coach and minibus hire service.
The estate is also the home of the Phantom Brewing beer company and 7Bone Burger.
Phantom Brewing recently announced it would be undertaking an “extended shutdown” while planning is undertaken for a relocation to a new production facility.
CBRE Investment Management, the site owner, had applied to demolish the existing warehouses and replace them with four new industrial buildings.
These buildings would have been subdivided to provide a total of 11 commercial units.
But the project faced opposition due to the impact it would have on neighbours and the potential use of the site for new housing instead.
The site has been allocated for 39 to 60 homes as policy WR3b of the Reading Local Plan.
The fate of the project was determined at a Reading Borough Council meeting.
Councillor Adele Barnett-Ward (Labour, Thames), who represents the area, said: “It would be eminently suitable for much-needed single-family homes.
“This area is perfect for that type of residential development.
“The residential streets to the site are a lovely community. They’ve got playgrounds, they’ve got a primary school.
“We shouldn’t be sacrificing those potential homes, we should stick to the local plan for the site.”
Recent development in the area indicates a gradual move away from industry to housing.
Bellway Homes has completed its The Printworks development at the former Cox & Wyman book printer factory, made up of 96 one to three-bed homes.
These have been built alongside the older terraces that make up the Bell Tower area, which refers to the distinctive tower of EP Colier Primary School.
Planning officer Catrin Davies judged that the harms of the development would outweigh the business and employment benefits, and therefore recommended that councillors should reject it.
Cllr Richard Davies (Labour, Thames) said: “The fact that this would encroach on somewhere we would allocate for housing is a big concern.”
Councillors rejected the project at the planning applications committee meeting on December 3.
It took place prior to the Phantom Brew’s announcement on December 22 that it would be undertaking an extended shutdown.
During her speech, cllr Barnett-Ward called Phantom “a really popular business” and “a local gem”.
You can view the refused application by typing reference PL/25/1191 into the council’s planning portal.
