Fury at Royal Mail site plan

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Protestors gathered at the Civic Centre on Wednesday night to object to plans to redevelop the Royal Mail sorting office into a complex including flats and a hotel.

Outside the planning meeting, people from the Vastern Road area claimed they had not been informed of the huge redevelopment scheme – although more than 3,000 leaflets have been delivered in the area.

Councillors approved a plan for the access to the scheme – a spine road going in at Caversham Road with access and egress at the other end in Vastern Road, and with two boulevards off it into the development site, dividing the 2.2 hectares into three blocks.

Reading Borough Council’s planning committee also agreed to broad parameters for the development, which would allow buildings as high as 16 storeys at the eastern end, next to what will be a new Station Square forming the new northern entrance to the redeveloped Reading Station.

Protesters were unable to speak at the meeting. But a representative from Aviva which owns neighbouring Vastern Court – containing TGI Friday’s, Majestic Wine, Mothercare and other shops – accused the borough council of diverging from an agreed site plan.

Robin Meakins, representing Aviva investors, questioned why discussions in April had settled on a benchmark height of eight storeys.

He said: “The present plan exceeds the benchmark and any future development on the Aviva site will be prejudiced by this.”

He said the previous benchmark of a maximum eight storeys at the eastern end of the site would not have prejudiced future development on its site.

Councillor Tony Page, lead member for regeneration, transport and planning, then asked Mr Meakins: “Why aren’t we considering an application from Aviva at this time?”

Cllr Page said it was likely the Royal Mail site would be developed in stages. He added it was likely to change ownership over the coming years and possible it would not be developed for eight years.

He said Aviva could have been involved in putting in an application at this stage for its site.

Mr Meakins replied that the Aviva-owned site had tenants and redevelopment would be considered when those tenancies ended. He accused council officers of “ignoring” their previously agreed benchmarks for the site.

Mark Underwood, representing Royal Mail, said there had been a three-day exhibition about the plans which had received a “very positive response”.

However his comment was greeted with cries of “rubbish” from the public.

The committee approved the broad plan, which would include blocks of flats, businesses, shops, a hotel, a gym and car parking on the site, although the exact mix would be settled in a more detailed planning application later.

After the meeting Christine Hummerstone of Vastern Road said: “One of our greatest concerns is for the traffic this will generate on to Vastern Road, which is already a very busy road.”

Her husband David, who has been collecting a petition, said: “We are also very worried about the density of the development.

“There could be as many as 400 flats and where is the parking? It is the high density and the traffic – and the fact that no-one in our area has been consulted – that we object to.”