A plan to replace the former Thames Valley Police headquarters in Reading town centre with more than 200 apartments has been revealed.
Thames Valley Police left the Castle Street HQ in November last year after more than three years of delays, moving into Atlantic House in Whitley. The Castle Street site has been bought by developer S2, which wants to knock down the 11-storey building and build two apartment blocks.
The scheme, called 'Flint Street', would provide 205 flats, with 30% classed as affordable. The ground floor could include 13 non-residential units for restaurants, cafes or co-working space.
Architect JTP is running a consultation before a planning application is submitted to Reading Borough Council.
The consultation document says: “Flint Street will provide a welcoming gateway into Reading town centre, celebrating the area’s heritage while supporting everyday movement and community life.
“Flint Street is envisioned as a high-quality urban environment that integrates historic character with contemporary principles of sustainability, creating an attractive and inclusive place to meet, pass through, and spend time, clearly marking the Minster Quarter from the South West, and into the heart of the town.
“The development will be a net-zero, residential-led mixed-use scheme.
“Redeveloping the former Thames Valley Police HQ site creates an exciting opportunity to improve pedestrian connections to the town centre, introduce more than 1810m2 of active non-residential uses such as shops and community spaces, and provide new public open spaces for everyone to enjoy.”
On Facebook some locals have suggested using the empty building as a temporary night shelter. A joint post by Everything RG and The Way Ministry states: “After Thames Valley Police moved to their shiny new base in Whitley, this huge former station sits boarded up, waiting for its next chapter.
“Locals are already buzzing about turning it into a temporary homeless night shelter – and it’s a brilliant idea worth exploring!”
The idea follows growing concern about rough sleeping in Reading after the deaths of Kepha Otundo and Genevieve Curwen this year. A council report says 43 people were found sleeping rough in a survey held in November 2025.
The consultation on the 205-apartment plan is live and closes on Monday, March 16. You can take part via the Flint Street website or by emailing community@jtp.co.uk.
S2 Estates has also won permission to turn the former Drews the Ironmongers building in Caversham Road into 31 apartments with new commercial space, and to replace the Bracknell Beeches offices with 349 homes — a scheme later sold to Weston Homes for £150 million.
James Aldridge, Local Democracy Reporter
