L&Q Homebase & Toys R Us Redevelopment (Kenavon Drive)

[zag]

Goes to the planning committee on Wednesday this week with recommendation for approval.



http://www.getreading.co.uk/news/proper ... e-14117335

[OneGorman]

More wasted and valuable land building small buildings when just down the road and around the corner we see 17 and 23 stories about to go up.

We need doctor surgeries, schools, car parks; yet RBC are happy wasting land we need on a number of small buildings. It’s become a joke now!

[bobby1413]

More wasted and valuable land building small buildings when just down the road and around the corner we see 17 and 23 stories about to go up.

Agree on the height of these buildings - they should be taller.

I think the reason they aren't may be because they're just out of the town centre, so probably in a different bracket with the planning rules.

[ash]

More wasted and valuable land building small buildings when just down the road and around the corner we see 17 and 23 stories about to go up.

Agree on the height of these buildings - they should be taller.

I think the reason they aren't may be because they're just out of the town centre, so probably in a different bracket with the planning rules.

I think they should be taller buildings too! Is there a boundary for the town centre? I remember reading a document from the council about the town centre masterplan and building massing. There was an 'eastern grouping' for tall buildings around Kings Road, not sure if the Kenavon Drive site is within this boundary.

[ash]

In continuation to my previous post, after a little research:

If you go to Reading Borough Council's website, then 'Planning' > 'Planning policy' > 'Tall Buildings Strategy'.

The site at Kenavon Drive is just outside the zoning for the 'Eastern grouping', shown on page 39 of this document.

[zag]

More wasted and valuable land building small buildings when just down the road and around the corner we see 17 and 23 stories about to go up.

We need doctor surgeries, schools, car parks; yet RBC are happy wasting land we need on a number of small buildings. It’s become a joke now!

I don't understand why you would need any of those other than perhaps a new GP surgery, but that's not the councils job to provide I don't think.

The car parks should be removed to make more of Reading Pedestrianized and the schools are simply not needed for people who live in this type or properties. The vast majority will be young professionals without children. When people have kids, they tend to move out to the suburbs. These days living in the town center means no car. Just look at London!

[jonbryce]

More wasted and valuable land building small buildings when just down the road and around the corner we see 17 and 23 stories about to go up.

We need doctor surgeries, schools, car parks; yet RBC are happy wasting land we need on a number of small buildings. It’s become a joke now!

I don't understand why you would need any of those other than perhaps a new GP surgery, but that's not the councils job to provide I don't think.

The car parks should be removed to make more of Reading Pedestrianized and the schools are simply not needed for people who live in this type or properties. The vast majority will be young professionals without children. When people have kids, they tend to move out to the suburbs. These days living in the town center means no car. Just look at London!

The problem is that a lot of them aren't moving out to the suburbs now, because they can't afford to.

[Pooneil]

The vast majority will be young professionals without children. When people have kids, they tend to move out to the suburbs. These days living in the town center means no car. Just look at London!

Where there are indeed many people living in the centre of town who don't have a car. A substantial proportion of them also have school-age children...

[Mayfield]

>>>The car parks should be removed to make more of Reading Pedestrianized and the schools are simply not needed for people who live in this type or properties. The vast majority will be young professionals without children. When people have kids, they tend to move out to the suburbs. These days living in the town center means no car. Just look at London!<<<

If Reading Council were really serious about keeping cars out of the centre they would realise that they would need to subsidise some bus routes and take the rough with the smooth. As it is they are playing a game of chance with relailers when we have both Bracknell and Oxford easily reachable.
Any two bed property will attract people with children....

[zag]

The problem is that a lot of them aren't moving out to the suburbs now, because they can't afford to.

I'm not sure I agree with that... as I personally did this move a few years back

I moved out of a town center apartment into a new house with my girlfriend in the suburbs. To be honest it was quite an easy move financially as we could combine the costs together and had equity in our previous properties.

We now have cars, pets and a garden. Something I didn't expect (or want) when I lived in the town center previously. Infact the idea of owning a car still seems a bit crazy to me as I prefer the train

[Fed-up]

Now approved by RBC with development due to start near the end of the year, subject to approval from the Secretary of State because of the size of the project:

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-berkshire-42646881

[zag]

Yep, great news.

Even the Labour Councillors were impressed by the affordable home provision. Not really surprising when the applicant is a housing association

[ash]

Should smarten up that part of the town centre. I like how the developers seem to have put thought into the architectural details, and link this back to the site's history. Unlike some other developments going on.

[Pooneil]

The problem is that a lot of them aren't moving out to the suburbs now, because they can't afford to.

I'm not sure I agree with that... as I personally did this move a few years back

I moved out of a town center apartment into a new house with my girlfriend in the suburbs. To be honest it was quite an easy move financially as we could combine the costs together and had equity in our previous properties.

Easier if you had two properties to dispose of and were only buying one. Not necessarily as affordable if you're selling one and buying one.

[Bob deBilda]

Should smarten up that part of the town centre. I like how the developers seem to have put thought into the architectural details, and link this back to the site's history. Unlike some other developments going on.

Well yes, but the artist's impressions of the apartment block on Queens Road near the Kings Road junction looked good too. It looks a right mess now.

Regards
Bob

[ash]

Should smarten up that part of the town centre. I like how the developers seem to have put thought into the architectural details, and link this back to the site's history. Unlike some other developments going on.

Well yes, but the artist's impressions of the apartment block on Queens Road near the Kings Road junction looked good too. It looks a right mess now.

Regards
Bob

Which block is this? Of course, its a subjective topic!

[Bob deBilda]

Which block is this? Of course, its a subjective topic!

Between the Lyndhurst and Kings Road on the north side. I don't think it's subjective, it's stained concrete and wood cladding which has weathered badly. It's worse than this Google Streetview picture suggests...

Regards
Bob

[Yola]

Why this stereotyping? If you have a family you have to move to the suburbs. I suppose when you retire you’ll move to a bungalow by the seaside?

Without a diverse population, the town centre quickly becomes a very one-dimensional place to live.

In Europe, cities have schools in the centre, they have green spaces kids can play in and retired people can exercise on. They both live alongside young singles and couples and they in turn live alongside empty nesters. It makes the places far more interesting, and tolerant.

[ash]

Which block is this? Of course, its a subjective topic!

Between the Lyndhurst and Kings Road on the north side. I don't think it's subjective, it's stained concrete and wood cladding which has weathered badly. It's worse than this Google Streetview picture suggests...

Regards
Bob

Agree with you there, the wood has weathered quite badly on those!

But the initial point I was trying to make is that the developers at Kenavon Drive appear to have put thought into the historical heritage of the biscuit factory site, incorporating features which relate back to it.

[OLDMAN]

Which block is this? Of course, its a subjective topic!

Between the Lyndhurst and Kings Road on the north side. I don't think it's subjective, it's stained concrete and wood cladding which has weathered badly. It's worse than this Google Streetview picture suggests...

Regards
Bob

Agree with you there, the wood has weathered quite badly on those!

But the initial point I was trying to make is that the developers at Kenavon Drive appear to have put thought into the historical heritage of the biscuit factory site, incorporating features which relate back to it.

To be fair that build is now 11-12yrs old and hasn't been very well maintained, although inside is (was) better

I have some friends who used to live there in a 2-bed place - they only moved out as had a second kid so need another bedroom (had a girl and boy)

They now have a 3-bed apartment at Blakes Key so only moved just down the road

[zag]

Why this stereotyping? If you have a family you have to move to the suburbs. I suppose when you retire you’ll move to a bungalow by the seaside?

Without a diverse population, the town centre quickly becomes a very one-dimensional place to live.

In Europe, cities have schools in the centre, they have green spaces kids can play in and retired people can exercise on. They both live alongside young singles and couples and they in turn live alongside empty nesters. It makes the places far more interesting, and tolerant.

Well the stereotyping comes my experience living in one of these central Apartment blocks for 7 years. The demographics were clear.

The idea that the people living in them are families, with cars, is in my experience misplaced. The most common are young professionals in flat shares who work in Reading or commute to London. I certainly would not want to bring up kids in an apartment block, or own a car personally.

[ReadingBiker]

Well the stereotyping comes my experience living in one of these central Apartment blocks for 7 years. The demographics were clear.

The idea that the people living in them are families, with cars, is in my experience misplaced. The most common are young professionals in flat shares who work in Reading or commute to London. I certainly would not want to bring up kids in an apartment block, or own a car personally.

Yes but plans change - you were lucky in that you and your girlfriend had 2 sets of equity to combine, if you had been living together in one of those apartments and she had become pregnant you would have found it hard to move with just 1 set of equity and the threat of reduced income/increased costs around the corner. Nobody is thinking people plan to bring up a family in a small town centre apartment but the more town centre apartments there are the greater the number of children being brought up in them will become - so they do really need to start thinking now about facilities.

[OLDMAN]

Well the stereotyping comes my experience living in one of these central Apartment blocks for 7 years. The demographics were clear.

The idea that the people living in them are families, with cars, is in my experience misplaced. The most common are young professionals in flat shares who work in Reading or commute to London. I certainly would not want to bring up kids in an apartment block, or own a car personally.

Yes but plans change - you were lucky in that you and your girlfriend had 2 sets of equity to combine, if you had been living together in one of those apartments and she had become pregnant you would have found it hard to move with just 1 set of equity and the threat of reduced income/increased costs around the corner. Nobody is thinking people plan to bring up a family in a small town centre apartment but the more town centre apartments there are the greater the number of children being brought up in them will become - so they do really need to start thinking now about facilities.

Have to say during our enforced stay at Chatham Tower it was obvious many of the apartments in there (as we often met them in the lift) and the surrounding blocks (good view from where we were) had families of 3, 4 and in one case 5 members

And as I said before the car parks were quite full

[MickEdge]

You are absolutely right, ReadingBiker. Many will be locked in to staying put and there will be insufficient infrastructure for families. It’s hard to see the economy growing sufficiently quickly or inflation rising to enable people to move. There aren’t enough larger homes being built to move to, even if they were affordable and where do you put them anyway.

[OneGorman]

Should smarten up that part of the town centre. I like how the developers seem to have put thought into the architectural details, and link this back to the site's history. Unlike some other developments going on.

RBC were said to very impressed with the design. I think it's ugly.

[buseng]

Have just read that Homebase will closing on the 16th of March, totally unnecessary for the sake of more unwanted FLATS! The crowd who can't or are too frightened to say "no".

[Jeff59]

Have just read that Homebase will closing on the 16th of March, totally unnecessary for the sake of more unwanted FLATS! The crowd who can't or are too frightened to say "no".

You continue to comment on things you clearly have absolutely no knowledge or understanding of whatsoever - why? Your posts (on every subject, not just this one) are not just very obviously completely uninformed, they're also invariably mean-spirited, narrow-minded and spiteful - so what makes your opinion worth listening to?

[buseng]

Have just read that Homebase will closing on the 16th of March, totally unnecessary for the sake of more unwanted FLATS! The crowd who can't or are too frightened to say "no".

You continue to comment on things you clearly have absolutely no knowledge or understanding of whatsoever - why? Your posts (on every subject, not just this one) are not just very obviously completely uninformed, they're also invariably mean-spirited, narrow-minded and spiteful - so what makes your opinion worth listening to?

I'm entitled to my opinion, so who are you to question it? I say things as I see it.

[Fed-up]

Have just read that Homebase will closing on the 16th of March, totally unnecessary for the sake of more unwanted FLATS! The crowd who can't or are too frightened to say "no".

I see Reading Homebase has already been removed from the store map:

https://www.homebase.co.uk/stores

[Jeff59]

I'm entitled to my opinion, so who are you to question it? I say things as I see it.

I knew you'd say exactly that. Do you really need it explaining to you that an opinion expressed on a public message board has to actually contribute something meaningful and worthwhile to the discussion? Otherwise, it's just uninformed spite.

If you don't like a particular proposed development (or, God help us, a set of roadworks by Thames Water, or a new traffic management initiative by RBC), then fine, just go ahead and say so. But don't start spitefully conjecturing about the supposed 'reasons' behind the proposal when it's quite clear to anyone who has even the remotest familiarity with these sorts of projects that you have no idea what you're talking about. And, similarly, don't start maliciously smearing the professional competence of people doing highly complex and responsible jobs that you wouldn't have a clue how to begin.

[OLDMAN]

Have just read that Homebase will closing on the 16th of March, totally unnecessary for the sake of more unwanted FLATS! The crowd who can't or are too frightened to say "no".

Homebase where taken over by Bunnings Warehouse and they are now closing some of the stores and converting the rest, this is just one of the closing ones as not deemed commercially viable

[bobby1413]

Have just read that Homebase will closing on the 16th of March, totally unnecessary for the sake of more unwanted FLATS! The crowd who can't or are too frightened to say "no".

The tone of this post is what I was referring to on a recent thread (the BMW/Swan heights one) where I said some residents/members of the forum were overly cynical and negative.

[buseng]

I'm entitled to my opinion, so who are you to question it? I say things as I see it.

I knew you'd say exactly that. Do you really need it explaining to you that an opinion expressed on a public message board has to actually contribute something meaningful and worthwhile to the discussion? Otherwise, it's just uninformed spite.

If you don't like a particular proposed development (or, God help us, a set of roadworks by Thames Water, or a new traffic management initiative by RBC), then fine, just go ahead and say so. But don't start spitefully conjecturing about the supposed 'reasons' behind the proposal when it's quite clear to anyone who has even the remotest familiarity with these sorts of projects that you have no idea what you're talking about. And, similarly, don't start maliciously smearing the professional competence of people doing highly complex and responsible jobs that you wouldn't have a clue how to begin.

You haven't posted on here since Nov 2015, so why come out of the woodwork now just to have a dig at me?

[bobby1413]

You haven't posted on here since Nov 2015, so why come out of the woodwork now just to have a dig at me?

Let's not all fall out... take it as a complement that he/she wanted to come out and reply to you!

[OneGorman]

Do we have any idea when this development starts?

I work in Reading Bridge House and have a cracking view of the town from up there, but I can’t see how they squeeze all that in that small space.