Individual Conservation Areas in Reading

Updated some links & content 20 Dec 2022

Conservation Area status and its implications

Conservation Area status places a statutory duty on local planning authorities to pay special attention to preserving or enhancing the character or appearance of conservation areas while undertaking their planning duties. Such designation essentially controls the demolition of unlisted buildings over a certain size and works to protect trees, restricts permitted development rights on dwelling houses and tightens regulations on advertising.

Reading’s Conservation Areas

Reading has 15 Conservation Areas, each is supported by a Conservation Area Character Appraisal which identifies the attributes of each area in order to aid the protection of an area’s the character or appearance of which it is desirable to preserve or enhance’. Appraisals are used by Planning Officers in their consideration of Planning Applications.

Reading Borough Council’s website on Conservation areas may reached by the following link;   www.reading.gov.uk/article/8056/Conservation-areas

The Conservation Areas

Individual Conservation Area Character Appraisals may be readily accessed on Reading Borough Council’s website   Information about all CAs

The same information is provided below.  In addition however we also provide

  •  Mini summaries which members of the CAAC have prepared of most of the areas (Routh Lane is being prepared and Horncastle awaits volunteers to take it forward).
  • A summary and overview for Eldon Square.
  • Highlight were CAAs have been updated or where work is in progress by members of the CAAC.

Alexandra Road;  Mini Appraisal (AR) ;  Full Appraisal (AR)

Christchurch (Dec 2022 Draft update in progress – Oct Council consulted on proposed extensions to area); Mini Appraisal (C) ; Full Appraisal (C)

Downshire Square;   Mini Appraisal (DS) ; Full Appraisal (DS)

Eldon Square (Dec 2022 – work started to update) ;  Mini Appraisal (ES) ,  Eldon Square – Summary and Overview; Full Appraisal (ES)

Horncastle;     Horncastlemini;  Full Appraisal (HC);

Kendrick; Mini Appraisal (K);  Full Appraisal (K)a

Market Place (Dec 2022 – work to update started 2017 stalled by HSHAZ project); Mini Appraisal (MPLS),  Full appraisal (MPLS)

Redlands; Mini Appraisal (R)Full Appraisal (R)

Routh Lane – Tilehurst- work in progress; Full Appraisal (RL)

Russell St/ Castle Hill / Oxford Road (new appraisal); Mini Appraisal (RSCHOR)Full Appraisal (RSCHOR) March 2020. 

South Park; Mini Appraisal (SP)Full Appraisal (SP)

St Mary Butts / Castle Street (Dec 2022 work to update started 2019 stalled by HSHAZ project); Mini Appraisal (SMCS) ,  Full Appraisal (SMCS)

St Peters (Caversham) (new appraisal); Mini Appraisal (SP) ; Full Appraisal SP November 2018

Surley Row (Caversham); Mini Appraisal (SR)Full Appraisal (SR)

The Mount;Mini Appraisal (M)Full Appraisal (M)

The process of updating CA Character Appraisals

The appraisals currently in place were completed in the main by consultants.  They should be renewed every 5 years to ensure that they reflect the up to date situation and are continuing to do the job they are designed for – to protect areas the character or appearance of which it is desirable to preserve or enhance’.  Many however are out of date, or soon will be. Whilst the council does not have the resources to commission consultants to carry out the updates it is felt that updates carried out by volunteers who know, and care about, the areas undertaking a bottom up review will be far more powerful.

Members of the CAAC are gradually undertaking this work.  Russell Street/ Castle Hill and St Peters (Caversham) were the first areas to be completed. Market Place/ London Street commenced in April 2017 but stalled because of the HSHAZ project.

Conservation Area Advisory Committee

In 2016 the Conservation Area Advisory Committee was established.  Its first aim is to work to update the existing Conservation Area Appraisals.  Further information is CAAC

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