Station Hill

Reading

Major development around Reading station including a tall building, new housing, offices, and retail uses. Designed by Scott Brownrigg.

We also reviewed the proposals for the station and forecourt.

You will be aware that CABE has commented on the development proposals for this site a number of times. In reviewing the Station Hill planning application mentioned above we have had the opportunity to consider planning application 09/01004/LBC for a new station building and forecourt at the same time. This has raised a number of questions for the Station Hill redevelopment in terms of how it co-ordinates with the wider town centre regeneration proposals. We appreciate that a significant amount of work has been carried out on the Station Hill proposal, which has taken into account the local planning authority’s policies and action plans concerning Reading town centre. When looking at the current planning applications together, however, it is evident that the policy documents alone offer little guarantee that the development proposals will relate well to each other. For this reason we have the following concerns about the planning application mentioned above.

Station Hill development and its policy context

We recognise that the application acknowledges the proposed redevelopment of the bus interchange and the development of a new station building and forecourt. The design of the current scheme does not, however, respond appropriately to these specific future proposals. For example, the shape of the piazza and the position of the buildings around it do not create a legible environment with routes and views that will easily guide pedestrians towards the new station building and bus interchange. Views of the bus interchange and new station entrance will be obscured by blocks B5, B3 and B1. We support Reading Borough Council in its ambitious approach to redeveloping this area of Reading. We are concerned, however, that without a detailed spatial masterplan that shows how the various projects in and around the station will link together, Reading’s vision will not be delivered successfully. The Core Strategy, the Reading Central Area Action Plan and the Station Hill South Planning and Urban Design Brief set out the strategic framework within which these projects can come forward, however, a more detailed framework is needed that looks more closely at the interrelationships between each project.

Outline/detailed planning application

We acknowledge that an outline planning application provides a degree of flexibility in the long term development of a scheme of this size. It is not possible, however, to assess the appropriateness of the tall buildings under an outline planning application. Tall buildings should be assessed against the most demanding standards of quality. The appropriateness of tall buildings has as much to do with the architecture and façade design as their height and location and this level of detail is not committed to within an outline planning application. We are concerned that outline consent for a development of this scale may result in problems that are difficult to resolve once permission has been given. For example, if the impact of the tall buildings on the microclimate at ground level is not tested in detail at this stage, problems could ensue which cannot be designed out at later phases. At the very least we recommend that one of the buildings is submitted as a detailed planning application so that a commitment to design quality can be demonstrated. The CABE/EH Guidance on tall buildings will provide useful guidance on the information required to develop a sound case for a tall building. While the idea of a cluster of buildings that step down, away from the station could be satisfactory, given our concerns we are unable to give our wholehearted support to the tall buildings proposed.

Public piazza

In looking at where the new station building will be located in relation to the public piazza, we are concerned that the latter will become underused as people take more direct and legible routes to the station, for example along Station Road.The piazza could therefore be inactive and with the change in levels and the significant height of the buildings around it, could be unwelcoming and hermetic in character.

The piazza would benefit from being designed within the context of a more detailed masterplan that examines existing and proposed pedestrian movements in and around the site. From this analysis, the optimum design and location of the piazza could be determined. In developing a more detailed masterplan it would be beneficial to look at the function of the public piazza in relation to the bus interchange. It could be, for example, that a better visual and/or physical connection can be made between the bus interchange and the public piazza to the Station Hill development.

Friar Street

Notwithstanding our concerns for the connection of the central piazza to the new station building and forecourt, we think the through-route from Friar Street will help to better connect the town centre with the train station. We are concerned, however, that block B8, as it meets Friar Street is out of scale with the existing buildings on this street. We appreciate that there is a large hotel that exists further east, but it is not this scale of development that gives Friar Street its character. We recommend that block B8 takes its reference from the smaller scaled buildings in the vicinity of the site. In doing so, the buildings further into the site will be more successful as the predominant markers of the station.

Phasing

Making Station Hill a successful place will be dependent on getting the development off to strong start. It is important, therefore, that the early phases are high quality places to live and work. It is also important that the phasing strategy is thoroughly tested to ensure that each stage of development makes appropriate and realistic connections with the town. This will help ensure that, should only part of the scheme be built, the development remains a high quality place.

Conclusion

While we support the vision that Reading Borough Council has to redevelop the station and the land around, because of the concerns raised, we are unable to support this current planning application. There are a number of policy documents that set out the broad parameters for how the area should be developed. We think, however, that in reviewing planning applications 09/01079/OUT and 09/01004/LBC together, the need to develop a clear relationship between the projects has been demonstrated. We are concerned that without this, it is only when the development has been built, that the full impact of one project on another can be realised. Given that this is a once in a lifetime opportunity to redevelop this area of Reading, we urge Reading Borough Council to review the Station Hill development in light of a comprehensive masterplan for the wider area, before determining this planning application.