Developers appeal over Reading apartment block rejection

A huge plan for hundreds of new apartments near Reading town centre could still go ahead despite councillors rejecting the project earlier this year.

Napier Court is a row of three offices in Napier Road, located directly opposite Kings Meadow and the Thames Lido.

The offices have been partly vacant for the last three years, with the remaining tenant exiting in the summer last year.

The investment company Peveril Securities applied to demolish the buildings and replace them with apartment blocks.

The development would have provided a total of 570 apartments, comprising 211 one-bed, 305 two-bed and 54 three-bed flats.

However, the project was rejected at a Reading Borough Council planning applications committee meeting on Wednesday, April 29.

While elements of the design were praised, councillors felt unable to approve the project as none of the flats would have been designated affordable.

Micky Leng (Labour, Whitley), lead councillor for planning, praised the design, but was dismissive of it as no affordable housing was proposed.

He said: “No affordable, no development.”

Cllr Leng also complained about the poor state of the offices during a site visit, mentioning litter, graffiti and the lack of hoardings to secure the buildings.

However, the development could still go ahead, as Peveril Securities has appealed against the decision to the government’s planning inspectorate.

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