Former Reading test centre demolished
Work has been carried out
The test centre where hundreds of thousands of people passed their driving tests in Reading has been completely demolished to make way for flats.
The brick building in Elgar Road South, Katesgrove, was used by hundreds of thousands of people for their practical tests for the 30 years it operated.
It was opened by the Driving Standards Agency in 1995 and closed in March last year, with tests permanently moving to Pacific House in Imperial Way in June 2025.
Now the building has been completely demolished to make way for an apartment block containing 16 affordable homes. Photos by Sam Boswell show a construction vehicle on site and building equipment stored there. The site is secured by hoardings advertising the new homes, which will be made up of eight one-bed and seven two-bed flats and one three-bed apartment. Construction on the building can only start once crucial information is submitted and accepted by Reading Borough Council.
This includes details about how the site will be managed, the materials that will be used for the building and information about the drainage system.
Assessments relating to land contamination were accepted by the council on October 23, which can be found using reference PL/25/1188 on the council’s planning portal.
Permission for the development was secured by Maxikka Homes, which won an appeal against the council’s refusal in April 2024.
Councillors rejected the plan to replace the driving test centre in December 2022, objecting to a lack of three-bedroom housing being provided and outdoor space for future occupants.
Maxika Homes was successfully able to appeal, with appointed inspector B Phillips ruling that the size of flats would meet the town’s housing need.
They also suggested that the lack of outdoor space provided was mitigated by its proximity to Waterloo Meadows, which is a four-minute walk away.
Inspector Phillips wrote: “The development would be located near to Waterloo Meadow, which is a substantial area of public open space to the west of the site, which I observed was within easy walking distance."