Progress is being made on building nearly 550 homes and flats at sites across Reading.

Reading Borough Council is engaging in a multi-million pound project to deliver 548 affordable council houses in the town by 2028.

Once complete, two swimming pools will have been replaced with new housing, and former council buildings dotted across Reading will be transformed for housing as well.

So far, 267 council homes have been completed for eligible tenants to occupy.

The latest example was the opening of the Arthur Hill site this January, with the council creating 15 new apartments for key workers at the Arthur Hill swimming pool.

Other examples include 57 affordable homes in Conwy Close, Tilehurst, 40 one and two-bed sheltered housing flats at Cedar Court off Basingstoke Road, 40 pods for former rough sleepers in Caversham Road, and 37 affordable flats in North Street on land which used to serve as a car park.

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An update on the council's new build housing programme features in a report by Victoria Higgins, the council's housing regeneration project manager.

The council's planning applications committee approved 151 homes spread across four sites in 2023.

The biggest of these is the demolition of the Central Pool in Battle Street, which will make way for 62 council homes and a 35-place elderly day care service once construction is completed.

Of those, 49 will be affordable and 13 will be reserved for adults who require assisted living accommodation.

The second biggest development on the way is in Hexham Road, where a new building containing 42 flats and a day care centre will replace the demolished Willows care home.

In Southcote, 30 homes will be built in Dwyer Road on the site of the former Alice Burrows Care Home, and 17 will be built to replace the council's previous day care centre in Amethyst Lane.

Providing an update on these developments, project manager Higgins' report states: "We are pleased to report that Hexham Road, Amethyst Lane and Dwyer Road are currently in detailed design development under pre-construction service agreements with appointed contractors."

Meanwhile, work is progressing on 46 new affordable homes in Wensley Road, Coley which are due to be completed for occupation early next year.

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The council has also made an additional 63 property acquisitions which can be provided to eligible tenants.

Staff are also conducting feasibility studies into creating 190 homes for phase three of the Dee Park estate transformation in Tilehurst, and building an additional 14 homes in Southcote Lane.

Councillors are due to note the progress made on its new build housing programme at a policy committee meeting on Monday, November 18.

It is currently moving to complete its £110 million project to complete 400 new council homes which began in 2021 and is due to be finished next year.