Controversial Reading Apartment Plan Appeals Rejection

Big plans for 570 flats near Reading town centre could still go ahead despite councillors rejecting the scheme earlier this year.

Napier Court on Napier Road, opposite King's Meadow and the Thames Lido, has been partly vacant since the last tenant left last summer.

Investor Peveril Securities wanted to demolish three office buildings and build two 11-storey blocks with 570 apartments: 211 one-bed, 305 two-bed and 54 three-bed flats.

The council's planning committee rejected the proposal on 29 April because none of the flats would be affordable, even though parts of the design were praised.

Councillor Richard Davies (Labour, Thames) said: "This brownfield site offers so much promise, and this proposal offers promise as well."

He warned the scheme breached many policies and added: "That's just not an acceptable breach of our policies."

Micky Leng (Labour, Whitley), lead councillor for planning, liked the design but was firm: "No affordable, no development." He also noted litter, graffiti and no hoardings at the site.

Peveril has appealed to the planning inspectorate, so the development could still go ahead.

The appeals report will be noted at the committee meeting on Wednesday 9 September.

See the council application PL/24/0846 and planning inspectorate reference 6014535 for more detail.

James Aldridge, Local Democracy Reporter