NEWS

The latest property stories coming out of the Thames Valley

10/09/2017

View from the riverbank: Politicians could learn from the past

No-one would be presumptuous about the proposals for Reading’s third Thames bridge, especially those who have grown up amid the decades of abortive schemes and dashed hopes. But despite there being a long, and far from even, road ahead, those listening to Tim Smith’s talk to our own FTC Thames Valley networking group last week could sense a guarded confidence about what has been achieved so far. Perhaps that’s because this was the first attempt to build the bridge where LEPs have had a leading
10/09/2017

More than £1.2m for Thames Valley Garden Towns

Around half of a £2.5 million cash injection for Garden Towns will come to developments in the Thames Valley. Communities Secretary Sajid Javid announced the funding last week to help fast track nine developments totaling 155,000 new homes, 79,000 of them in the Thames Valley. That includes developments at Bicester, Basingstoke, Didcot, Aylesbury and Harlow & Gilston. Mr Javid said: “Locally-led garden towns have enormous potential to deliver the homes that communities need. This new funding
10/09/2017

Argos takes 73,000 sq ft warehouse in Reading

Argos has taken a 10-year lease on a speculatively-built 73,000 sq ft warehouse in Island Road, Reading. The building, developed by Peel Logistics Property with funding partner, Rockspring Property Investment Managers, and marketed by GVA and Haslams, fronts onto the A33. It has 61,535 sq ft of warehouse space and 11,194 sq ft of offices. It sits among a growing a number of warehouse operators in the area including Tesco, DHL, Kuehne and Nagel, Bidvest and HSS. The Argos building is one of
10/09/2017

183 homes planned for Watlington

Archstone Projects & Bloor Homes have applied to build 183 homes on farmland at Britwell Road, Watlington. Plans submitted to South Oxfordshire District Council show the homes and 650 sq m of employment space on 9.67 hectares which is currently used as a pig farm and has a number of agricultural buildings. It is outside of Green Belt and not with an Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty. Forty per cent of the one to four-bedroom homes (75 units) will be affordable and those will be distributed
10/09/2017

Plans for 3,000 homes at Chalgrove Airfield

The first formal details of plans for up to 3,000 homes and three schools at Chalgrove Airfield in Oxfordshire have been revealed in a scoping application from the Government. The Homes and Communities Agency (HCA) has asked whether an Environmental Impact Assessment is needed for its plans for the 254-hectare site which include: * Up to 3,000 homes * Up to five hectares of employment land (including existing occupiers) * The consolidation of runways and the construction of a new runway *
10/06/2017

Tech firm takes school building

A technology occupier seeking premises with character has settled on a Victorian school building. The Old School in Wolvercote, near Oxford, has been converted into two offices covering 3,390 sq ft over two floors. Agents VSL & Partners signed up digital software development firm Univers Labs as a tenant. The firm is moving from the serviced offices at theTBAC Centre at Osney Mead, Oxford. Univers has taken a five-year lease at £55,000 a year. The business designs and builds web
10/05/2017

Swindon set for two major apartment blocks

Two applications for apartment blocks in Swindon town centre totalling 219 units go before councillors on Tuesday, October 10, with both recommended for approval. CJV Properties wants to demolish the town’s tented market in Market Place and replace it with a block of 101 flats with four food and drink outlets and one retail shop on the ground floor. Its scheme would have eight to 15 storeys of 66 one bedroom and 35 two bedroom flats. At the same meeting of Swindon Borough Council’s planning
10/05/2017

Two schemes, 209 homes and 502 objections

Two applications for a total of up to 209 homes go before councillors in South Oxfordshire on Monday (October 9), both recommended for approval. Catesby Estates plans up to 135 homes on land east of Park Road, Didcot while Greenlight Developments plans up to 74 on land next to the village hall on Main Road, East Hagbourne. Both sit within the East Hagbourne ward and both include an allocation of 40 per cent affordable homes. But both schemes have also attracted fierce opposition from local

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Independent Property
NEWS & VIEWS

Reporting daily from the Thames Valley tvproperty.co.uk

News

View from the riverbank: Politicians could learn from the past

More than £1.2m for Thames Valley Garden Towns

Argos takes 73,000 sq ft warehouse in Reading

183 homes planned for Watlington

Plans for 3,000 homes at Chalgrove Airfield

Tech firm takes school building

Swindon set for two major apartment blocks

Two schemes, 209 homes and 502 objections