Plans to Deliver Affordable Sustainable Homes and Improved Environment
A PROPOSED new Council housing scheme will provide 46 affordable homes and deliver an enhanced environment for new and existing residents.
The development in Wensley Road, Coley, aims to provide homes which meet high sustainability standards and will regenerate the Wensley Road loop. A planning application has been submitted for the scheme which has been designed following months of consultation with the community. It includes modern and updated play facilities for younger and older children, additional parking spaces, upgraded bin areas and enhanced landscaping to improve connectivity around the area. Plans include the construction of 8 x 1-bed flats; 10 x 2-bed flats; 26 x 3-bed houses and 2 x 4-bed houses. The properties will be designed to be energy efficient and reach high environmental standards in line with the Council’s aim to create a net-zero carbon Reading by 2030. The Council and its architects, HTA, have held three public events on the Wensley Road site to consult on the proposed development. Feedback showed that the central play area on the site is very important to the community, parking was a key concern and there was clear enthusiasm for new family-sized homes to help tackle overcrowding. The scheme includes an improved parking layout with an increased parking provision to 230 spaces, cycle storage and connections to the wider cycle network and public transport. New landscaped areas around the new development would include a younger children’s play area; a 5 - 11-year-old's play area; a seating area; an outdoor gym and shared surface square. The scheme will also look to enhance nature and biodiversity in the area. The planning application can be found on the planning portal on the Council’s website at: http://planning.reading.gov.uk/ (application no. 200122) where comments can be made during the statutory consultation period. The application will be considered at a future meeting of the Planning Applications Committee.Cllr John Ennis, Lead Councillor for Housing, said:
“The plans for Wensley Road aim to provide desperately-needed affordable Council homes to local families and improve the surrounding area for all residents. “The regeneration scheme will deliver high quality homes in a sustainable development with efficient energy systems which will keep bills down for families. “The Council has carried out public consultation events throughout the design process and incorporated residents’ views as part of the final plans. There will be a further chance to comment as part of the planning process.The Council has delivered 148 new affordable homes through Phase 1 of its new-build programme, including 57 homes at Conwy Close, in Tilehurst, and 28 temporary homes in Lowfield Close, Caversham. Around 100 new affordable homes are being delivered over the next three years through Phase 2 of the programme and Phase 3 is beginning with the proposed Wensley Road scheme.“I believe the final design succeeds in delivering new high-quality Council homes, including much-needed family-size houses, while creating significant enhancements to the surrounding area for local people.”