No.1 Reading is the name for a new proposed development at 29-35 Station Road, Reading.

Station Road Dev Co Ltd has secured a planning consent from Reading Borough Council for the redevelopment of 29-35 Station Road.

The consent, to be known as No.1 Reading, includes:

  • A new mid-range hotel, with 135 bedrooms, a bar and a restaurant
  • Five floors of new flexible office space
  • A ground floor retail unit (potential uses could include a shop or café)

The redevelopment of 29-35 Station Road (the old Norwich Union building) will deliver a building of the highest quality opposite the entrance to Reading station which will complement both Thames Tower and the neighbouring Station Hill development.

Station Road Dev Co Ltd is committed to investing in Reading for the long term and to working with Reading Borough Council to deliver their vision for this much neglected area of the town.

Station Road Dev Co Ltd is controlled by global hotel investors Frank Truman in partnership with Legacy Hotels & Resorts.

Introduction

Station Road Dev Co Ltd bought the old Norwich Union building in early 2018 and since then has been pro-actively engaging with Reading Borough Council to bring forward development.

Station Road Dev Co Ltd has brought together a world-class team of design and technical specialists – including award-winning Reading-based architects Broadway Malyan – to achieve its vision for No.1 Reading. The Station Road Dev Co Ltd team itself comprises experts in taking hotel developments through the planning and construction process and in hotel management.

Following consultation with Reading Borough Council, immediate neighbours, business and residents groups, Station Road Dev Co Ltd has now submitted a planning application to Reading Borough Council for No.1 Reading.


Overview of proposals

Station Road Dev Co Ltd is proposing the demolition of all buildings on the site and the construction of a new 22 storey building containing a hotel, bar, restaurant, offices and a ground floor retail unit (which could be a small shop, coffee shop or café).

As well as the retail unit, the ground floor will comprise the entrance from Station Road into the hotel, restaurant, bar and offices.
The first floor will contain the hotel bar and reception, whilst the hotel restaurant will be located on the second floor.

The third to sixteenth floors will contain 135 hotel rooms and associated service space, whilst the top five floors will house offices.

The proposal also improves the streetscape and pedestrian movements on Station Road (as the key thoroughfare from the station plaza to the town centre) through the inclusion of attractive colonnades at street level and the reinstatement of active frontage on Station Road.

 

Design

This site provides an ideal location for an iconic building, marking a gateway to Reading town centre from Reading station.  The design of the proposed hotel and office development seeks to make the most of this opportunity to provide Reading with a well-designed gateway building at the transition between the station and the retail heart of the town.

Adjacent to Thames Tower and in close proximity to the Station Hill development, No.1 Reading sits within Reading Borough Council’s tall buildings zone and has been designed to complement its existing and future surroundings. At a proposed 22 storeys, No.1 Reading is less tall than the original proposals for Thames Tower (which was expected to be 30 storeys) and will be less tall than the tallest elements of the Station Hill development.
No.1 Reading will, nonetheless, be an important place-marker, marking the entrance to Reading from the station. As such, it is appropriate to have a tall, elegant tower in this location.

Taking inspiration from traditional historic place-markers, specifically Reading’s ecclesiastical architecture, No.1 Reading is designed to reflect elements of local church tower design, with a buff and grey pallet often seen in local church buildings.

Sitting in Reading Borough Council’s tall buildings zone the site has a previous planning consent for a 22 storey residential development.

 

Economic benefits

Station Road Dev Co Ltd partners, Breithorn Development and Legacy Hotels & Resorts are committed to the long-term future of this site and the significant economic benefits this development will bring to Reading.

During construction No.1 Reading will create 190 direct construction jobs (512 including indirect and induced jobs) and make a £31million contribution to the local economy.

Once operational, No.1 Reading will provide 124 direct operational jobs(273 once indirect and induced jobs are included) and contribute tens of millions of pounds to the local economy.
Once developed, the project’s owners are proposing to retain and manage the building themselves rather than sell it on.

Feedback

Station Road Dev Co Ltd submitted a planning application for No.1 Reading to Reading Borough Council at the start of November and this was registered by the council on 6 December 2018.

The planning application has been given the reference number 181930 by Reading Borough Council and can be seen in detail here.

If you would like to support, or comment on, the proposals please leave your details via the form below and someone from the team will be in touch. You can also write directly to Reading Borough Council to support the proposals using the via their website here.

Contact

For any questions regarding the proposals for No.1 Reading please e-mail andy.townsend@legacy-hotels.co.uk or telephone 01564 797 436.

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