The long-awaited revamp of a shopping centre in west Reading is now set to include hundreds of new homes.
Chillingham Ltd have submitted the plans to Reading Borough Council (RBC) to redevelop Meadway Precinct, which include creating 266 new homes and new shops.
The developer already has planning permission, granted in 2017, to overhaul the shopping centre but the new application would see hundreds of homes added to the plan.
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Chillingham has described the site as “tired and in need of upgrading”.
There are currently 18 shops in the centre and 27 maisonettes above the building.
Parts of the shopping centre would be demolished under the plans, with shops refurbished and extended.
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The developer has planned a mix of one-bed, two-bed and three-bed accommodation, including maisonettes and townhouses, added to the site.
461 parking spaces are proposed, compared to the 214 spaces previously agreed by RBC in 2017.
A Meadway Centre Planning Brief was adopted by the council in 2013, setting out a clear vision for the district centre.
It sets out three potential proposals, with the council’s preference for a redevelopment of the whole centre, including both the precinct and the neighbouring ASDA site.
But Chillingham have said this is not possible as they do not have an ownership or interest in the Asda to the south and Reading Borough Council (RBC).
The council said that if the redevelopment of the whole area is not possible, how the design of the revamped shopping precinct relates to the Asda site is a very important consideration in whether it accept the plans.
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