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The £400 million redevelopment of Station Hill looks set to go ahead after concerns over the buildings’ design were resolved
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Station Hill plan a step nearer

February 05, 2010

The £400 million redevelopment of Station Hill looks set to go ahead after concerns over the buildings’ design were resolved.

Sir John Madejski’s property company Sackville Developments Ltd was granted outline planning permission in September but issues were raised over the “design codes” of buildings overlooking Friar Street.

But on Wednesday Reading Borough Council’s planning committee agreed they were now in line with the “architectural finish” of the other buildings in the futuristic development, which includes offices, shops, restaurants, a bowling alley and a public arts venue centred on a public square.

Station revamp given support from Lord Kinnock

Councillor Tony Page said: “What we have here is much more accessible and more exciting than what we have seen previously. I hope this will be the catalyst for further development of the area once the economy starts to recover.

“Friar Street has often been described as the Cinderella street of Reading, but the projected redevelopment of Station Hill 2 knocking through to Friar Street will deliver a vast improvement.”

Cllr Kirsten Bayes called it a “positive addition” to Friar Street while Cllr Chris Maskell hailed it as a “bold statement”.

The Station Hill 2 scheme – incorporating the neighbouring Friars Walk shopping centre – is a reworking of the former plan which was vetoed by the Government last year over fears it was not in keeping with the area.

The Commission for Architecture and the Built Environment (CABE) objected to the height of the tallest buildings and is still not happy with the revised plans.

It claimcd the buildings would obscure the views of the bus interchange from the station entrance and has concerns about the design of the central piazza.

It wants Reading Borough Council to produce a masterplan for the whole station area before the Station Hill development goes ahead.

Work could now begin in 2011 with the first phase completed by 2014.

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Eastie Beastie, thank you for helping me to make my points

Firstly on CABE, I said, “I totally agree with CABE whose reservations extend way beyond the height of the building in relation to the scale of the town and the vistas seen from afar.” CABE’s criticism includes the fact that the town does not have a master plan into which we can see all the nuasances you raised about the transport plan which has not been revealed to the town. Emotion is an important part of the experience of Reading. A doubling of people coming into the town by rail alone is a significant change and the numbers of people using the offices, the retail, and the flats of Station Hill does have a huge bearing on transport planning, and the quality of life of the town. In itself Station Hill has a significant impact on the economy of the town and region generally – would you like to suggest whether for good or for ill?

On Park and Ride and other changes. I will not go beyond the argument that the town has not seen the proposals. Yet everything you have said has consequences on our life styles, and on our economy. You link the change with all the buildings being given consent and it has to be questioned whether this growth is sustainable. You talk about the wonderful bus service coming to this town and you do not ask whether people will choose to use it or whether it is being forced upon them in some authoritarian programme of social conditioning. I hope that the plans are available to the public before the May elections because I am sure that the Council’s vision of the future needs the towns approval. There is no mandate.

I conclude therefore that planning in Reading is a dog’s dinner and that its future success will be determined by the level of incompetence in the thinking and consideration of the Council. To date this lacks lustre and supporting evidence. Any marketing person knows you deliver what the public wants not products which they will not buy into.

Damocles, Reading
10/02/2010 at 10:58

Damocles. The fact that this project can be seen from an area of outstanding natural beauty is a purley emotive argument, and would bear no weight in a planning enquiry, as it is not in an area of outstanding natural bauty itself. The views of the and protection of the beauty ara are important, not the view from. Tall buildings add to the backdrop of nature in many case, eg Seattle with the Mount rainer in the background, the tower blocks of Glasgow with the hills in the background.

Yes Reading is planning park and rides to be dotted round the town, some North of the River, and there is a need for them. As long as SODC block all attempts for a third bridge the case for a Park and Ride north of the river will be become very necessary. I would of thought buses are preferential to cars in most instances if congestion is to be cut down. It is not just Station Hill drivign the need for the Park and Ride, Reading is expanding on its south side too, Kennet Island, Green Prak, the University Science Park at Shinfield, and the "Renaissance" of Winnersh Triangle, which in it self will attract 20,000 people. As for the added residents cars, with such a good bus system coming to Reading, why would you need a car, I am sure there will be a car share rental scheme for anyone who might need one occasionally.

James London Irish Eastie Beastie, Whitley
10/02/2010 at 09:57

Eastie Beastie, I totally agree with CABE whose reservations extend way beyond the height of the building in relation to the scale of the town and the vistas seen from afar. Their concerns are justified and have not as promised been mitigated. When Station Hill is built it will be visible from what are known as areas of natural beauty surrounding the town and from Henley. Remember there are plans for the north side of the station too.

The town will be dictated by park and ride which will consume land beyond our boundaries and again start to encroach on these areas of natural beauty. Caversham will be alive with the through traffic of buses.

There is also a significant reduction in the number of car parking spaces provided by Station Hill despite the fact that the area becomes much more shopping and housing intensive. The plans should never have been passed by our councillors without the transport plans detailed in the Transport Innovation Fund Bid being made public and without full and final details of the infrastructure round the station. The two parts of the equation transport and building of major structures cannot be separated. Wait for the guided buses to appear – more good news for car drivers and cyclists.

The whole process has been and will continue to be a dog's dinner. The Secretary of State should have intervened from the off, but the chances are he was nobbled with cries of we are the councillors who know best - my foot!

Damocles, Reading
8/02/2010 at 10:40

As for a bus interchange, if the station concourse is moving to the west, could a new one be built where the current concourse is, surely this will be made defunct when the new concourse opens.

James London Irish Eastie Beastie, Whitley
8/02/2010 at 09:13

This project wil have no more parking spaces than is there at the moment. 750, that is how many. What have CABE got against tall buildings? Tall buuildings are the way to go, instead of covering available land. Why would a tall building block the view of the bus interchange from the station. The station is at ground level, there would be no difference between a five storey or a 25 storey buuilding. CABE just do not like skyscrapers.

James London Irish Eastie Beastie, Whitley
8/02/2010 at 09:09

Smiffy, you only have to see the Bus station at Bath to seei It wont have to be that big. And of course it could happen, and should. We will now end up in more bus stops scattered around town, where there simply is not enough room for all the buses and taxis as it is. Also outside Yates pub friar street will be two way again and will remain open at night, sure someone will get knocked down by a bus. This whole development is a joke, as is the council planning dept. The biggest joke is the council own the bus company so you would think joined up thinking on transport would happen, but alas no chance. Gareth epps I fully agree with you.

hornbeam, reading
7/02/2010 at 18:18

Every time I see the illustrations of Station Hill what crosses my mind is that they do not compliment the town's existing buildings and importantly the perspectives appear wrong. I sense that the actual buildings which are slightly less than three times taller than the Foster Wheeler building in the centre should be represented much taller in these artists’ impressions. Has anyone checked their accuracy? I also draw the conclusion that the designs will age badly. But who cares? So let us move away from mediocrity and get into the heart of the debate which I suggest we the mere public should be having - do we accept that the centre of the town should become a virtually car free zone with the spectre of congestion or road charging in the offing to boot? Why do we not have a bus terminus in the plans? Why is there all this secrecy surrounding the Transport Innovation Fund Bid? Why has the Council appointed a host of new spin doctors?

The development of Station Hill and the station brings with it huge transport issues which are not addressed in the passing of these structures and they should be - surely? It appears that the Council is going into to full spin mode – a sure sign that they know that their scheme entirely lacks substance.

slobber, Reading
7/02/2010 at 11:51

Everyone has to admit that Station Hill is currently appauling and a really bad entry point to Reading - not even the Lib Dems can dispute that! The Station Hill development will bring business to Reading and provide an appealing entry point from the station. It is a good scheme for Reading.

As for the transport interchange Cllr Epps is dreaming about - could it ever happen? The problem with a central interchange is that all traffic would need to access it - is that really a good idea as the road network doesn't make this an easy task. Also, if it were to service all buses and taxis it would be huge - so people would still have to walk a bit to get their bus - as with the current plans. A fantastic transport interchange in front of the station sounds great, but I think the Lib Dems are living in the world of theory, rather than what is actually feasible.

Smiffy, Reading
6/02/2010 at 21:20

Gareth epps how can you say it is neither here nor there?

This is a significant development which will add a substancial weight of traffic volume to an already inefficient and overloaded road system.

Personally I feel that if the developer really cared about the town and its heritage it would have stepped in and built the racino which has fallen through, so that we could maintain having a speedway team in reading, something which has gone for the time being, but has been in reading for 50 years.

With your short sighted outlook how can you expect anyone to vote for you? My geuss is you are spending too much time supporting your local pubs again.

rogerjolly, reading
6/02/2010 at 08:56

All sounds good to me, the current state of station hill and friars walk is a disgrace to a town that wants to call itself a city. Only why are they building a bowling alley with the new plans, I know there's a bit of an 80s revival going on at the minute but seriously who these days wants to go bowling? Im sure the space could be put to better use, even if it is to be allocated for making money and not the good of the public.

And Friar street as the Cinderella street of Reading, when did you last take a walk down there 1911 ?? Check the place out at 2am on Friday/Saturday night !!

Atomic Tom
5/02/2010 at 21:32

It's all neither here nor there, as the Station Hill plans smash the potential for a proper transport interchange worthy of the new Reading Station alongside it.

Had Reading Council's Labour bosses been awake at the time, a planning brief could have ensured a proper transport interchange was provided, rather than losing the chance, possibly forever.

Cllr Gareth Epps, Reading
5/02/2010 at 16:02

Thats why the council is getting away with it because 'its better than what is there at the moment'. I'm all for change, but feel its such a waste of what could be done with the land. The first time we could have a decent bus station and easy interchange between buses and trains, resulting in Friar street being made traffic free we get this. But the council bow to the developer rather than think of the best options for us. So instead they are going to cut off the road in front of the station- wow thats real cleaver thinking. In fifty years time sure it will revert into a dump.