Major Riverside Development Approved in Reading

A plan to build a huge new riverside building with more than 200 apartments at 2 Norman Place in Vastern Road, Reading has been approved.

The office has stood vacant since Covea Insurance left in 2020. The scheme, called 'Waterfront Square', would replace it and include a riverside commercial unit.

The planning applications committee backed the proposal. Councillor John Ennis welcomed the change, saying "It would make the area better, including the Thames bank."

Ennis accepted only 24 flats (10.17 per cent) will be affordable but warned the site, saying "This would lie idle. I think we should grasp the opportunity to get more housing in Reading in the local area."

There was also talk about a possible link to the Reading Heat Network. Jonathan Markwell, the council's principal planning officer, said the developer felt they could not commit to that now because of feasibility.

Other councillors praised the design. Cllr James Moore hoped the riverside unit becomes a hospitality spot, saying "What I'm really hoping for is that commercial unit would be some sort of cafe bar, so I can finally have an alfresco pint on the River Thames, which we can't have."

Councillors approved the development unanimously on November 4.

You can view the application on the council planning portal using reference PL/24/0958.

James Aldridge, Local Democracy Reporter