The verdict on a huge plan to add hundreds of flats to a landmark shopping mall in Reading town centre has been delayed.
For years there have been plans to add flats to the Broad Street Mall, with the latest iteration seeing 643 apartments added contained within four new towers.
Although a decision on the project was meant to be made at a crunch Reading Borough Council planning meeting, this has been delayed due to concerns about a lack of affordable housing and public open space.
Anthony Iringa, the vice-chair of the Baker Street Area Neighbourhood Association representing residents in the area, argued the sheer height of the towers, with the tallest being 30 storeys, would be harmful to the character of the town centre.
He also pointed out the lack of green open space and play areas provided in the plan.
Mr Iringa said: “High-rise, high-density living demands these spaces to avoid creating 21st-century slums.”
The project is being undertaken by mall owners AEW and McLaren Living.
Jonathan Walton a planning agent for Opus Works representing the applicants argued the 643 new flats would significantly meet housing demand.
He said: “To best meet housing need in the borough, it’s important to optimise housing delivery on those sites most capable of supporting this.
“Broad Street Mall is one of few sites in the town centre that can achieve this in an acceptable manner.
“This is a high-quality, landmark solution we can all be proud of. This is a transformative scheme that will rejuvenate a tired and neglected area of the town centre, one that has significant anti-social behaviour issues.”
However, councillors on the planning applications committee agreed that the project does not provide enough affordable housing.
The applicants proposed providing 65 affordable rented flats, 10.1 per cent, which is below the 30 per cent required by policy.
It was also noted that McLaren Living is the appointed developer for the council’s Minster Quarter project for more than 600 homes behind the mall.
Cllr Micky Leng (Labour, Whitley) said: “There is a conflict, which we all know is there, this is tied in with the Minster Quarter.
“Although this application stands in isolation, it’s relevant, and I think there is also an element, maybe subliminally, where they are possibly thinking that the Minster Quarter can do the heavy lifting with the affordable housing.”
He then lamented that affordable housing is reduced by developers whenever the cost of development increases.
Cllr Leng commented: “When there’s a fiscal ceiling, why is it always the poorest in society that have to take the hit?
“Why is it the affordable housing that gets reduced?”
The developers instead proposed to pay for off-site affordable housing.
Cllr Doug Cresswell (Green, Katesgrove) said: “Off-site provision is not the same as on-site, it’s not housing.”
However, he did welcome the fact that all flats would be wheelchair adaptable.
Cllr Jo Lovelock (Labour, Norcot) proposed that the decision be deferred for further negotiations and clarifications between council officers and the applicants.
Councillors unanimously deferred the decision yesterday (Tuesday, April 2).
