Conversion of listed mansion site set for go-ahead

Caversham Park was previously the home of BBC Monitoring and BBC Radio Berkshire

A plan to use a Grade II listed mansion, previously used by the BBC, to provide assisted living units is set to be approved.

Caversham Park, in Reading, Berkshire, was used by BBC Monitoring and BBC Radio Berkshire until 2018.

The proposal to use Caversham Park House for 65 assisted living units and provide other housing across the site should be given the go-ahead, Reading Borough Council planning officers said.

A previous plan was submitted two years ago but the authority’s planning committee could approve the current one on Wednesday.

As part of the proposal, a 64-bed care home would be built to the west of Caversham Park House.

Another three-storey building would provide 12 retirement homes on the northern part of the site and 29 retirement homes would be built on the eastern part.

On the western side, 27 affordable homes could be built. An existing pavilion would be refurbished.

As a Grade II listed site since 1987, Historic England said Caversham Park is of “special interest”.

The government's statutory adviser on the historic environment said it objected to Beechcroft Developments’ project because of what it said would be a “high level of harm” to the site and impact on Caversham Park House.

Reading Council officers said though they think it would cause “overall harm” to the site's heritage assets, the public benefits would outweigh that.

These benefits include giving the general public access to the site, which has been closed off previously.

If approved, the public would be allowed access to the site from 07:45 to 16:00 in the autumn and winter and from 07:45 to 20:00 in the spring and summer.

Exceptions would include Christmas Day and times when “short-term maintenance works” might need to be carried out.