BUILDERS constructing a two-and-a-half storey building in Tilehurst will no longer be including a retail unit.
The site, on School Road next to the Mad Hatters Pottery and Painting Café, will see a two-bed apartment on its ground floor, in addition to two two-bed and two one-bed flats.
Chesters Place has successfully applied to Reading Borough Council for the alteration, application reference 230241. It was approved at a meeting of the planning committee last week, subject to a section 106 legal agreement which would involve the firm paying a levy of £10,750 to fund affordable housing provision elsewhere in Reading.
While some neighbours objected to the plan raising concerns over parking, it was noted that the ground floor apartment would generate less traffic than the originally proposed shop would do.
An earlier plan for the building application reference 211276, was refused by the council as an agreement between the developer and the council over S106 contributions was not reached.
While that refusal was overturned by a government planning inspector on appeal, adjustments to the plan were made in a newer application, reference 220086, which was approved by the council in May last year.
During the meeting, Cllr James Moore (Liberal Democrats, Tilehurst) said: “Now [the developers] have obviously worked out that the retail unit was not viable and would like to turn it into housing.
“I have no problem with that as a principle, but I feel like there was still the outstanding issue of affordable housing contribution. I am very happy that the officer has secured an agreement with the developer, so I’m happy to approve it on that basis.”
