Funeral directors in Reading demolished for flats project

The former Co-op Funeralcare building in Southampton Street was vacant for years after it closed in 2019, prompting developers to apply to replace it with flats.

The building was demolished sometime in the last year, with a construction crew working hard on the apartment building that will replace it.

Progress on the exterior of the building is steaming ahead, with the apartment block reaching its fourth storey.

Once complete, the block will contain a three-bedroom flat, 11 two-bedroom flats and seven one-bed flats.

What the 19 home apartment block will look like once built. (Image: ALB Planning)

Notably, zero car parking spaces will be provided. Justifying the lack of parking provision, a planning agent argued that the site is in a sustainable location close to services and facilities, and near public transport as well.

The project was approved by Reading Borough Council's planning applications committee two years ago.

It faced opposition from Dave Jenkins, the owner of a neighbouring building, who was worried that the introduction of new flats could scupper his own plans to convert the property he owns from offices into flats. 

However, Mr Jenkins was told that the committee is only able to consider the application that is there to decide, rather than prospective applications.

Supporting the project, councillor Jan Gavin (Labour, Caversham) said: “I think the red brick, the rendering, the roof, the design I think is quite understated, but that is good because it doesn’t detract the very significant heritage sites that surround it.”

The nearest heritage site is St Giles Church, which was rebuilt in the 1800s while retaining the 13th-century aisles and west tower. 

Speaking about the design of the flats, cllr Gavin said: “It doesn’t need to draw attention to itself, but it does need to sit comfortably within a number of other listed buildings within Southampton Street and I would praise the design here, it does actually do that.”

The project was unanimously approved by councillors in September 2022.

You can view the application by typing reference 211636 into the council’s planning portal.

Mr Jenkins was able to win approval to convert the second floor of his building from an office into a two-bedroom flat in June this year.

The development sits right next to a site that has been vacant for decades.

Work taking place to construct a building containing 19 flats in Southampton Street, Reading. The project replaces the Co-op Funeralcare. (Image: James Aldridge, Local Democracy Reporting Service)

Buildings at the site have been empty since the 1990s. According to information shared by a neighbour, the buildings were previously occupied by a taxi company and drapers business.

However, once these businesses left the buildings began crumbling and were in a dilapidated state.

Richard Stainthorpe, who served as a Labour councillor from 1990 to 2010, reported that the council stepped in to make the site safe by knocking the buildings down and sealing the site off.

Further down Southampton Street, a project to build 11 flats that replace the Red Lion pub is nearing completion.