Reading hotel with park view could be replaced with 12 flats

The Tower House Hotel in East Reading currently provides 33 bedrooms for guests located opposite Palmer Park.

The hotel has been the subject of two plans to demolish it and replace it with permanent residences.

Designs show the three existing interconnected hotel buildings being replaced with two new apartment buildings with a similar central link.

Both of these projects have been rejected by Reading Borough Council's planning department.

Rejecting the latest plan, James Crosbie, the council's assistant director for planning argued the apartments constituted a cramped overdevelopment of the site.

The other reasons for refusal were that the new buildings would appear out of character in Wokingham Road, and concerns over privacy for both existing neighbours and future occupants.

The project was rejected in April.

The proposed street scene for the second refused plan to replace the Tower House Hotel in East Reading with 12 flats. Credit: The Keen Partnership 

However,  The Tower House could still be replaced as the applicant has submitted an appeal to the government's planning inspectorate.

Justifying the project, a planning agent The Keen Partnership wrote: "We would like to point out that this is a family run hotel over many years, the applicant now wants to retire due to his age and the fact the hotel is also aged.

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

"The applicant would like to build a flatted development  and use the rental income for his retirement as the family incorporates construction experts."

The planning agent rejected the argument the flats would be crammed into the site, providing evidence that the new buildings would cover a similar width to the existing hotel.

Summarising their arguments, the agent said: "The existing building displays no architectural merit within the street scene and is nearing the end of its beneficial life as a hotel.

"There is a possibility if consent cannot be obtained for a new flatted
development for at least 12 units, the Appellant may be forced to submit a planning application to change the use of the existing building into flats."

It was then argued that the replacement building would be more beneficial to the character of the area and desirable for future occupants.

A CGI of what the buildings that could replace The Tower House Hotel would look like if the project is approved on appeal. (Image: The Keen Partnership)

The appeal was lodged on October 22.

The initial project involved the construction of 14 apartments contained in two detached buildings.

However, this plan was refused due to concerns that the new flats would overlook into the homes of neighbours, and that the scale and massing of the new buildings would be harmful to the character of the area.

The project was therefore refused in January 2023.

You can view the application by typing reference 240015 into the council's planning portal.

The appeal can be found by typing reference APP/E0345/W/24/3351980 into the planning inspectorate website.