Caversham Park to open to public as new homes in grounds are approved

THE grounds of Caversham Park are to be opened to the public for the first time after plans for redevelopment were approved.

Beechcroft Developments, which bought the former base of the BBC’s Monitoring Service in 2021, is to create more than 120 homes and build a nursing home at the
93-acre estate.

The company received planning permission and listed building consent from Reading Borough Council’s planning committee on Wednesday last week.

Caversham Park House, a Grade II listed mansion, will be converted to provide 65 assisted living units.

A 64-bed care home and 27 affordable homes will be built to the west, a three-storey building to the north will provide 12 retirement homes and another to the east will provide another 29.

A pavilion will be extended to house a café and museum focusing on the history of the site.

The public will have access to sports facilities including a cricket pitch, tennis courts and a croquet lawn.

Historic England objected to the application, saying that Caversham Park was of “special interest” and the redevelopment would cause a “high level of harm” to the site and main house.

But council officers recommended approval of the company’s application, saying the harm would be “less than substantial” and outweighed by the public benefits, especially the public being given access to the land.

Neighbour Chris King told the committee that he was worried about the increase in traffic in the area, particularly in Peppard Road, where he has lived for almost 40 years.

He said: “I had hoped that Caversham Park would be preserved without further urbanisation of the area but I and other local residents accept pragmatically that the commercial reality of this compromise is because it fulfils many local requirements.

“I wish to publicly thank Beechcroft which consulted with residents and responded with amendments to its original plan, especially to the design of the western parcel homes and the retention of historic hedges and trees.

“I do have one more significant concern. Peppard Road has high amenity value to Emmer Green, housing the Hill School, the hill chapel and the BBC archives as well as many local people who are users of the road and pavements with their children.

“With a single narrow pavement, no yellow lines, humps and a 20mph limit, it can be considered as a functional and uncongested road but not always.

“The southern end of the road now is afflicted with what I call commuter parking for large parts of the day, being within walking distance of Caversham and bus stops.

“However, twice daily and for other frequent events run by the school, traffic and parking causes congestion to the point of gridlock with issues of road safety, pollution, residents’ access, difficulties for deliveries and emergency vehicles. The development of Caversham Park will exacerbate the situation.

“The residents and visitors to the new Caversham Park western parcel housing will have a daily choice. They can drive about 300m from Peppard Road into their cul-de-sac, where there is limited parking and only two visitor spaces, or they can just park in Peppard Road and walk immediately to their front doors through two new paths in the preserved hedge.

“I suspect many will choose Peppard Road. Every day, every night, perhaps all weekend for their cars, visitors, tradesmen vans, deliveries etc. This may also apply to the new visitors to the park recreational facilities and to the new local playground which is adjacent to the road.

“A solution would improve the amenity value of the road in perpetuity and benefit residents and road users every day of their lives.”

Chris Thompson, managing director of Beechcroft, said the company had made several significant changes following public consultation, including a reduction of 20 homes.

He said: “We are very pleased that there is very little public objection, which perhaps reflects the extensive public and stakeholder engagement. The original planning application attracted 60 letters of objection and 13 letters of comment or support. There are just 10 objections to the latest proposals. The use of the site for housing older people is probably the most appropriate use that there could be.

“Beechcroft has been building these sorts of schemes for 40 years now and I can’t think of a better location. The site is close to local shops, which are next door, and the site lies in a safe and secure parkland setting close to bus stops.”

He added that older people didn’t drive much and when they did it was at less busy times of day, not during the school run.

Mr Thompson said there was a national shortage of this type of development, particularly in Reading where most schemes were for flats for first-time buyers. This would help free up local family homes which their owners no longer needed.

He said: “It is agreed by all stakeholders that the harm to the heritage assets is less than substantial and your officers conclude that the public benefits which flow from this scheme are significant.

“Further benefit to the local community is we have included a café, museum and sporting facilities. The museum is important as there is a story to be told about the former occupiers of the buildings, including the 600 or so people who worked at Caversham Park during the Cold War.”

Mr Thompson said there would be a legal agreement in place to prevent further development of the grounds.

He said that the affordable housing, which will be closest to Peppard Road, had been reduced in scale and mass as well as being moved away from the road.

Mr Thompson said he didn’t object to a restriction on parking in Peppard Road, adding: “We don’t believe that anyone in the development is likely to park there.”

Councillor Doug Cresswell asked if other entrances on to Lowfield Road would be considered, adding: “There are lots of children that walk all the way around Caversham Park on the way to school and if they could walk through that might be an improvement.”

Mr Thompson said no as there was a ransom strip — a piece of land that must be crossed to enable adjoining land to be developed — around the perimeter of the site and the only access to Lowfield Road was at the point proposed.

Councillor Stephen Goss asked whether the museum and sports facilities would cause parking problems. He said: “I give talks on the history of Caversham Park, which are popular. Once the grounds are open there will be people who want to get in there and see it. Can we really be sure that we won’t see an increase in traffic?”

Mr Thompson replied: “It is very difficult to tell how popular it might become. I think it will be used by local people and there is bound to be some initial interest because the site hasn’t been open for public access. I suspect it will tail off over a period of time.

“There’s plenty of visitor parking in the scheme. The sporting facilities aren’t extensive enough to attract a lot of people.”

Councillor John Ennis said: “I’m looking forward to seeing the history there right before us. The north of Reading is a lovely area and I say that as someone born and bred south of the Thames. It is a gorgeous place.

“I think it’s a really good to see older people being able to live independently with a 30 per cent affordable. It ticks the boxes in a very nice area.”

After the meeting, Mr Thompson said he was delighted to have secured planning permission.

He said: “We will be able to secure a sustainable future for the historic buildings and to create high-quality new and converted homes for people over the age of 55, including affordable family homes for sale and rent which will help meet both local and national housing needs.

“We have extensive experience in the sympathetic renovation and restoration of listed properties and our new development will respect both the original buildings and the parkland setting, which is an important feature of this site.

“The development will also bring improvements to the landscaped setting. The Edwardian summerhouse will be refurbished, historic terraces will be reinstated, the orchard will be restored, providing opportunities for growing fruit for both residents and the wider community, the woodland will be carefully managed and wildlife habitats enhanced.

“Twice a year, the public attending open day events at Caversham Park House will be able to take a look around the communal areas as well as being able to enjoy the landscaped gardens and the sports and community facilities on a daily basis.”