Verto (Kings Road)

[daisyanne]

T

[Stuart Kerr]

I guess 'removed' is currently too strong a word.

So stuart let's get back to the debate. Seeing as you know all and are a authority on everything from politics to building to education.

Debate?

You and I are not having a debate. It is solely about you pathologically contesting an argument I did not make; me having to keep reminding you of that would constitute as a productive use of my time as icing a dog biscuit.

You have conveniently skirted around the topics I was actually taking about - such as how anyone can see the height of the approved plans, impractical in relation to the small surface-area on which the building will occupy can be seen as anything other than a cynical excercise in greed, to the detriment of everybody else living/working/travelling in that area? I was also talking about the highly questionable practice charging a non-specific 'consultation' fee for a pre-application. How much was the fee in this case? I've tried looking, can't find a figure anywhere.

Big, fat well done on solving the housing 'crisis' though. Who would have thought that minor miracle could be achieved without the use of paragraphs?

A bit of a tip for you however. When you are next in council chambers, be sure to put your hand up once and not jab it into the air whilst repeatedly proclaiming "me miss, I know, I know.." - because no teacher never ever picks that child to speak.

When you finally do get your ideas across, you may need to prepare yourself to for someone telling you 'sorry we are much too busy selling off real estate to private developers to pre-occupy our efforts with providing affordable housing to those very people we were elected to represent. Sorry about that.'

Then again Labour have always [email protected] on their own, it isn't anything new, unfortunately 'their own' have always been too impoverished by stupidity to work it out.

[ReadingT]

Thanks for the PM Stuart. Not sure why you felt the need to message me.

I'll see you and your sock in council chambers
Sent: 12 Jun 2015 20:12
From: Stuart Kerr
Recipient: ReadingT

I'm here to stay.

Get used to it.

Worth a warning Mods?

[piwacket]

Stuart

Could you kindly moderate your wording please.

[Pooneil]

I was also talking about the highly questionable practice charging a non-specific 'consultation' fee for a pre-application.

Although the only person who seems to be questioning it (highly or otherwise) is yourself. It strikes me as being remarkably useful If it avoids applicants and the planning committee incurring significant delays and wastes of time, by ironing out problems before it reaches the formal consideration stage, in exchange for a relatively small fee; it seems an admirably prgamatic way of speeding up the process and using council planning resources wisely.

On the other hand, I can see how you consider it a dubious practice, because I have somewhat similar feelings over a vaguely similar arrangement, viz the optioon to have your passport application vetted at the Post Office prior to submission. Personally I find the forms reasonably simple, albeit tediously protracted, and have never been attracted by the offer of having somebody from the loacl PO vet them for mistakes in exchange for eight quid (or whatever the fee). Seems a waste of cash to me. However, I know many other people who are happy to pay the fee for peace of mind and reassurance. And hey, if it works for them, it seems churlish of me to raise much objection to it. After all, like the planning pre-application process, it's completely optional...

[johnH]

Back of King's Point - reflections in the Kennet & Avon Canal

[C8H10N4O2]

Other than news of it's being razed, possibly the only occasion Kings Point could attract a "Like" from me.

Nice pics John.

[buseng]

Looks like at long last demolition is starting on this eyesore. Fencing is being put up around it & demolition boards. All the shutters are closed.

[zag]

Looks like at long last demolition is starting on this eyesore. Fencing is being put up around it & demolition boards. All the shutters are closed.

Probably the best news Reading has had in a long time!

Shocking building.

[zag]

Yep confirmed the demolition crew(Squibb) are in and starting to work.

[zag]

It is now hidden forever and being Demolished!

I can't say i'm too upset Another eyesore gone!

20160615_175431811_iOS.jpg (80.48 KiB) Viewed 3019 times

[ash]

Thanks Zag, for making my day with this picture

[chris_j_wood]

Hurrah.

[C8H10N4O2]

Is it "Stockholm Syndrome" that causes me to suddenly feel I'll miss deriding it's very existence for so long, after it's gone?

Like Katharine Ross, "I won't watch you die". but I'll offer "goodbye old...something"...
... though that only out of respect to anyone that worships inanimate concrete structures.

[bobby1413]

Flats/apartments/offices seem to be the craze at the moment.

Yeah, it's just a silly fad. Flats/apartments/offices? In a TOWN, of all places? Where people live and work? Ridiculous.

I'm sure They'll go back to building castles and stuff soon though.

Hahaha

Personally I like the new development plans:

I'd like it to be taller, but yea it does look really nice and modern

[OLDMAN]

I think that looks to fit in well

[zag]

Unfortunately that was the old plan and was from 2014.

The new proposed building looks like this as far as I'm aware and is 17 stories!!

[bobby1413]

I may have missed this (haven't read all of the thread), but how far are they along with the development.

I think I saw that the demolition people are in - is the building still there or has it been knocked down yet?

Also - is that building that is planned 100% confirmed, or is it still being planned?

[OLDMAN]

Damn - I thought they had changed the design - I don't like the tall one it looks out of place

The designers web site

http://www.assael.co.uk/content/kings-point

And demolition has only just started

[bobby1413]

Has this gone yet? I know the demolition people were onsite, just wondering if anyone had passed recently?

[Jack Strop]

No. It's difficult to tell with the protective plastic hoardings, but judging by the garage section opposite The Wynford, it's a slow nibbling type of demolition.

[thegoodmrbrodie!]

i can see it from my office window. slow progress so far, just the side of the garage bit down so far. there have been some serious looking electrical works on the path by the building for the last month, so maybe once that is done, they'll crack on.

[Jack Strop]

Just two floors left to demolish now, effectively the garage / car park section.

[johnH]

King's Point today

[OLDMAN]

We popped out yesterday and came back round by the Forbury / prison etc. and it was very odd approaching the Kings Rd junction to see right across now this was so low down

[johnH]

Not much left :

[zag]

I walked past last night for the first time in a while and piling is well under way for the new building.

I've updated the first post to say its now official Under Construction

[zag]

And some new pics

[piwacket]

OH! The King's new clothes
Is that an improvement? (other than being new of course)

[ash]

Will hopefully smarten up that end of town, being such a prominent location . I was a bit disappointed when they reduced the height from 19 storeys to 17, because it looks a bit too short to be classed as a tower now in my opinion.

Then again, submitting planning applications for overly tall buildings, later to be reduced in height to get approval, seems to be a trend now.

[Pooneil]

OH! The King's new clothes
Is that an improvement? (other than being new of course)

Have to agree - that just screams late 60s/early 70s to me. Granted high-end late 60s/early 70s rather than public housing of that era, but it's definitely got a retro feel to me and not a particularly great era to get nostalgic for in terms of tower building. IMHO, of course

[Jack Strop]

Must say, I rather like those visuals. At least it looks to have some character, reminds me a bit of the old RPA building now called the White Building, just round the corner, which itself is looking remarkably swanky in its streamlined redevelopment.

[piwacket]

Must say, I rather like those visuals. At least it looks to have some character,

Character? It still just a load of concrete boxes piled on top of each other a la previous King's point

[zag]

Must say, I rather like those visuals. At least it looks to have some character,

Character? It still just a load of concrete boxes piled on top of each other a la previous King's point

The same criticisms were aired for Kennet house on king's road and that turned out absolutely fantastic.



Lets hope this scheme is similar.

The current trend for boxed, multi leveled apartment buildings is quite nice I think.

[Bushwhacker]

I quite like this myself. It is functional, modern and interesting. Certainly an improvement on what went before, although I do have vague memories of Kings Point attracting praise when built back in the early 60s.

As I have said before, there are those who would scream loudly if the Parthenon appeared within the Borough boundary.