Hotel near park in Reading could be replaced with 14 homes

A planning application has been submitted to replace Tower House Hotel opposite Palmer Park in East Reading into apartments contained within two new buildings.

The larger one, called Block A, would contain eight apartments, made up of two three-bed, two one-bed and four two-bed units.

Meanwhile, Block B would contain three one-bed and three two-bed apartments.

Each home would have one allocated car parking space.

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It is unclear how many of the apartments will be designated as affordable.

Although the council’s affordable housing policy states that 30 per cent of homes in developments of 10 dwellings or more should be designated affordable, it also states developers can provide less as long as they produce an economic viability assessment.

However, no such assessment has been submitted so far.

Tower House Hotel in Wokingham Road, East Reading. Credit: James Aldridge, Local Democracy Reporting Service

The plan has received three objections from neighbours in nearby College Road, all of which mention the size of the new buildings and lack of car parking.

Neal Cook said: “The proposed block B is significantly higher than the Hotel or the adjacent buildings.

“The rear elevation will significantly overlook our property: the upper windows of Block B are twice the height of the windows of the current Hotel block that it proposes to replace.”

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Mr Cook concluded that, although he does not object to the principle of the hotel being replaced, he does object to the plans as they are.

There is a dispute between the neighbours and developer’s agents over the size of the new apartment buildings.

While the design and access statement by ET Planning states both buildings will be three storeys tall, the neighbours have argued that the buildings are four storeys.

A sketch of the two apartment buildings that could replace the Tower House at 70-78 Wokingham Road, Reading. Credit: The Keen Partnership

Ken and Katie Barber said: “The proposed block B replaces the current two-storey building with a fourstorey building; this is a doubling in height compared to the existing development which would make the new development out of keeping with nearby buildings.

“It would also mean that our back garden and back rooms become overlooked. The current building’s view of our property is adequately shielded by a high hedge; to give us privacy from fourth-floor occupants would need a hedge so high that we’d have no usable garden at all and would restrict our rights to light.”

Meanwhile, on the issue of parking, Richard Morris said: “There is insufficient parking provision for 14 flats, and no space for visitors, tradesmen, deliveries etc.

“So reduce the number of flats, increase the parking provision, or both.”

Tower House is operational as a hotel, with the application being submitted by Mr Sarwan.

The Local Democracy Reporting Service visited the hotel but the owner chose not to comment on the plan.

You can view the application by typing reference 211714 into the council’s planning portal.