A joint venture between developer St James and landowner Thames Water is to deliver the residential component of the proposed Reading Gateway development
The joint venture involves building up to 1000 homes on a former sewage works to provide an "urban gateway" to the town. Stephen Davy + Peter Smith has been named architect for the project A source close to the scheme said it was part of a wider programme being put together by Thames Water and Prudential to transform Reading Gateway. The source said: "The development will be genuinely mixed-use, with offices, a hotel, retail and a community centre. We have planning permission for 850 homes but we're interested in pushing the number over 1000."

The residential part of the development will form the first phase and will cover about 12 ha. Further residential phases will follow, with the offices, hotel and community centre planned for a site across the A33.

The total area of the whole scheme could extend to as much as 40 ha. A bridge will be built over the A33 to connect the two main parts of the scheme.

International multidisciplinary consultant URS is the civil and structural engineer for the scheme, with cost consultant RLF also on board.

We have planning permission for 850 homes but we want to push for more than 1000

Source close to the project

Architect Scott Brownrigg was commissioned by Prudential and Thames Water to draw up the full masterplan for Reading Gateway. Fellow architect John Thompson and Partners was also involved at an earlier stage.

The Reading Gateway development will take advantage of a £50m investment in junction 11 of the M4. Designed by consulting engineer Peter Brett Associates, the work will double the size of the junction and aims to solve congestion problems from the east.