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Station Hill site goes back on the market

Stanhope and Benson Elliot have put their Station Hill development in Reading on the market for £70 million. The joint venture (JV) has appointed CBRE to market the development but it will also consider bringing in a funding partner for the £500m scheme. The Station Hill scheme has permission for 930, 000 sq ft of offices, 150,000 sq ft of retail and around 475 residential units. The 475 were approved after Stanhope went back to the council to increase that number from the previously approved

FTC members told 'big things to happen in Berkshire'

FTC Thames Valley members heard of major projects for Berkshire in the next few years, when Lichfields brought one of Reading’s key planners to the April meeting. Mark Worringham, planning policy team leader for Reading Borough Council, spoke to guests on Tuesday, April 4, ahead of that evening’s meeting of the council’s strategic environment, planning & transport committee where the draft Local Plan was up for approval so that it can go out to consultation. Mr Worringham explained that

Pledge to fight 'shoddy and substandard' developers at appeal

Reading’s draft Local Plan was passed at committee on April 4 – along with harsh words for developers who like to build ‘cheap and cheerful’ homes. Reading Borough Council’s strategic, environment, planning and transport committee approved the draft plan which will go out for a six-week consultation, starting April 28. The committee's lead councillor Tony Page explained work going on to meet housing targets including the proposed garden village at Grazeley and said the council wanted

New DHL warehouse planned for Island Road, Reading

A new warehouse for DHL is being planned in some of the last remaining land off Island Road in Reading, not already earmarked for development. Exton Estates has submitted a planning application for 11,067 sq m of warehouse space in two buildings covering B1C (light industrial), B2 (general industrial) and B8 (storage & distribution) on a 3.37-hectare former landfill site on the northern side of the road at its western end.​ The larger building is being specifically designed for DHL to

Minister announces name for new building at Oxford Science Park

The Schrödinger Building has been unveiled as the name for the new £13 million office and laboratory at Oxford Science Park. Minister of state for universities, science, research and innovation, Jo Johnson visited the 61, 535 sq ft building on Tuesday April 4, to take part in the official ground-breaking ceremony and reveal the name of the state-of-the-art space which can accommodate 500 people. The building is named after Austrian theoretical physicist professor Erwin Rudolf Josef Alexander

AA to move to new site in Basing View

The AA is to move its headquarters to a new site within Basing View after a deal with the council to ensure it stays in the borough. Basingstoke & Deane Borough Council was anxious to keep the breakdown giant’s 700 jobs in the town and negotiated a deal to ensure the multi-million pound commitment from the firm. The council’s cabinet is expected to rubber stamp the deal on April 11. The AA has been at council-owned Fanum House since 1973 but the building has become so outdated some of the

Stuart Binnie Joins Rider Levett Bucknall

Chartered quantity surveyor and project manager Stuart Binnie has joined construction consultants Rider Levett Bucknall (RLB) as Associate Partner at the firm’s Thames Valley office in Winnersh Triangle. Mr Binnie, who has over 30 years industry experience supporting clients across London and the Thames Valley, was previously Director at Gleeds in London and prior to that was a Partner in a multi discipline consultancy in Slough for 18 years.  His experience covers all industry sectors and at

Three-site Enterprise Zone launched across the region

A multi-location Enterprise Zone has been launched, linking three major regeneration sites across the Thames Valley. Enterprise M3 LEP has unveiled EZ³ in collaboration with five local authorities. It includes Longcross Park near Chertsey, Basing View, in Basingstoke and the third at Whitehill & Bordon’s Louisburg Barracks. Businesses moving into any of the EZ³ locations before March 31, 2022, will receive a 100 per cent business rate discount for five years, up to the maximum state aid

Swindon masterplan to transform town centre

A vision for Swindon town centre’s regeneration has been launched with a new masterplan, new website and new offices. Forward Swindon, part of the town’s bid to attract investment and development with its lower land values and with office rents around half those of central Reading, has taken up residence in The Carriage Works, one of the areas for regeneration. It hopes Swindon’s appeal will grow on the back of Great Western Mainline electrification which brings the town 45 minutes from

Titan Property withdraws plans for 107 flats in Reading town centre

Titan Property’s plans for a 23-storey residential block next to Thames Tower in Reading have been withdrawn. The developer planned 107 flats with retail on the ground and first floors at 29-35 Station Road but withdrew its application on March 23. The site has had a long history of abortive schemes proposed since the turn of the century. In January 2002 permission was given to demolish the current building for an office block with retail or restaurant use at the ground floor. In 2005