Lochailort displays plans for high-rise Reading residential towers

The proposed development (16-page / 9.1 MB PDF) would be constructed on the site of a BMW car showroom to the north east of Reading town centre and would include three residential towers, between 24 and 28 storeys in height. Of the 352 apartments proposed within the towers, 345 would be one- or two-bedroom apartments. A single three-bedroom apartment and six penthouse units with private terraces have also been proposed.

The bottom four floors of the proposed development would form a podium, with roof gardens and sedum green roofs linking the towers. Space for community uses and two or three ground floor commercial units have been included in the plans, and the lowest three floors of the development would provide parking spaces for 118 vehicles and 308 cycles.

The site was identified in Reading Borough Council's central area action plan as being appropriate for new residential development and was allocated for a tall landmark building.

According to a report in the Reading Evening Post, LI managing director Hugo Haig said: "We are very excited by the opportunity to add buildings of outstanding quality and architectural interest on this important site."

"We are confident that the development will not only reinvigorate Reading's town centre and give a heightened sense of civic pride, but also leave a legacy of exceptional architectural quality and with levels of environmental sustainability which is (sic) seldom seen elsewhere in the UK," said Haig.

LI held an exhibition of the plans at Reading Town Hall last week.