John Lewis submits £80m plan to turn Reading depot into housing
The group submitted a planning application to Reading Borough Council with its proposal to transform the former distribution warehouse into 215 energy-efficient homes
The John Lewis Partnership has submitted plans for an £80m development that would see a disused Reading warehouse turned into new rental housing.The group submitted a planning application to Reading Borough Council with its proposal to transform the former distribution warehouse into 215 energy-efficient homes.
The proposed regeneration would also create 6,000 sq ft of internal amenity space, including space for community use, two new garden spaces and improved public realm.
The homes will be a mix of one, two and three-bedroom units, and will include shared areas for fitness, home-working and socialising. Options for long-term tenancies will be offered to “provide residents with the opportunity to remain living there for as long as they wish”.
John Lewis said the homes will be “highly sustainable”, using high performance materials with renewable energy resources. The development, which is near to Reading station, will also be car-free with the exception of accessible spaces.
New green spaces for the public, including children’s play, and a new space for local community groups has also been included.
If approved, construction is expected to start in early 2026 allowing the first residents to take occupancy in 2028, meaning they would become the first residents to move into a JLP home development.
Katherine Russell, director of Build-To-Rent for the John Lewis Partnership, said: “We have worked closely with Reading Council’s planning officers, local residents and organisations to propose a scheme that will benefit residents and the wider community by transforming a disused industrial site into a thriving rental community.
“By revitalising brownfield land we have a fantastic opportunity to provide a significant number of homes which can help alleviate some of the growing pressure on Reading’s housing market. These will be homes not only developed by us, but managed by us, meaning we can offer quality service and a guarantee that homes will not be sold off, as so often happens in the rental market.”
The latest proposals form part of John Lewis’ plan to create a rental housing brand that will manage homes designed specifically for rent. A core part of the strategy is renewing brownfield sites that have good transport connections.
The group recently received a resolution to grant planning consent to transform a Waitrose site in south London, next to Bromley South rail station, and is progressing another application in West Ealing five minutes from the local Crossrail station.
