Reading gas holder to be demolished for flats

The gas tower has been a fixture of Reading's skyline for many years

Plans to demolish Reading's landmark gas holder to make way for a block of flats have been approved.

Councillors agreed the plan to tear down Gas Holder No.4 in Alexander Turner Close after initially refusing the demolition on safety grounds.

Danescroft carried out a risk assessment and put measures in place to prevent the spread of contamination to satisfy the council.

Once the tower is removed, 130 flats will be built on the site.

• Will the UK's gas holders be missed?

Former Reading councillor Richard Stainthorpe said the flats would "be a significant improvement for this part of Reading".

He added: "The gas holder is a relic of the past with no particular significance and the land it is on is an ideal location for a residential development,"

But Reading photographer Callum Cromwell said he thought the plans were "ridiculous" and added the flats would "look out of place and character".

"The gas holder should remain," he said. I have grown up around seeing it. It's a shame Reading is losing such a piece of industrial heritage from the past."

Works will begin after a six-month photographic archive is completed by the developers to "provide a record of the heritage asset for future generations to come", the Local Democracy Reporting Service said.

The tower site has a cast iron column base structure dating back to 1887 which is to be uplifted and placed into an area away from any demolition activities, before a decision is made on its future resting place.