Royal Elm Park

[RG30]

Did anyone get a chance to attend the public exhibition today?

[Clyde1998]

Did anyone get a chance to attend the public exhibition today?

I did before going to the Couhig Q&A.

They've put the planning boards on their website: https://www.royalelmpark.co.uk/virtual- ... oming-soon

Was told they have to build the commercial aspects prior to building the housing as part of the 2018 planning application, so the phases shown below are the order they have to build:


The convention centre is Phase 3, but they've been more specific as to what will be inside.

There will be more reserved matter applications in the future - this process relates to Phase 5 specifically. They'll need one to cover Phases 6 and 7, which may be combined or may be separate.

The expansion to the AWE Detailed Emergency Planning Zone (DEPZ) takes into account the construction of Royal Elm Park, as it already had planning permission. The DEPZ only becomes any issue if they want to expand the numbers of people attending the site beyond what they received permission for. Was told they almost certainly would not have been able to get permission had the expansion occurred prior to their application.

[Clyde1998]

From the Couhig Q&A:

15. Royal Elm Park

There is great potential for Royal Elm Park but the club are unlikely to have ownership interest. Rob only discovered that a deal was in place regarding car park after purchasing the club.

There are new landlords for parking and the club are working alongside them to make parking better.

Overall, Rob believes the Royal Elm Park development will happen- and will be good for the club. Parking is a sensitive subject as it costs £500,000 a year on top of the original expectation.

[Whore Jackie]

The convention centre is Phase 3, but they've been more specific as to what will be inside..

Where's that information? On the key it just says mixed-use commercial; Exhibition Centre, retail, sports & recreation, hotel.

[Clyde1998]

The convention centre is Phase 3, but they've been more specific as to what will be inside..

Where's that information? On the key it just says mixed-use commercial; Exhibition Centre, retail, sports & recreation, hotel.

That's what I mean - they've been more specific as to what's inside the convention centre - that it will contain mixed-use commercial units; an exhibition centre, retail units, sports & recreation facilities and a hotel. They appear to have stopped using the term 'convention centre' in their marketing.

[RG30]

Royal Elm Park Development

I attended the presentation and asked all the questions that had been sent into us. The first thing to be built will be the multi-storey car park, and at the same time the retain/leisure complex. There are plenty of disabled parking spaces in the multi-storey and there will also be an additional car park under the leisure complex. All our existing disabled car parking spaces attached to the stadium will also remain.

There is a bus interchange for local buses and football buses. They have worked on an arrangement where your match ticket will include a football bus ticket or a train ticket to Green Park Station. They are improving the steps and putting in an access ramp from Brook Drive into the new development. I mentioned the flooding and they said they are well aware of that and will be including flood defences.

Our Memorial Garden will be incorporated into a bigger landscape project; this is good news as it gives us chance to input into how this will look. The landscape architect is going to send us his drawings so that we can all see what the plan is.

They are very keen on getting fan support for the project, they already have the planning permission, but they do want to get us all on board. Their vision is being an area like Wembley Way, if you have been to Wembley recently it has transformed incredibly into a vibrant area, with shopping, housing and leisure all merging together. It would certainly add to our match day experience! I now have direct contact with them so if you have any further questions or comments please send them over.

Via latest STAR newsletter.

[Hendo]

Royal Elm Park Development

I attended the presentation and asked all the questions that had been sent into us. The first thing to be built will be the multi-storey car park, and at the same time the retain/leisure complex. There are plenty of disabled parking spaces in the multi-storey and there will also be an additional car park under the leisure complex. All our existing disabled car parking spaces attached to the stadium will also remain.

There is a bus interchange for local buses and football buses. They have worked on an arrangement where your match ticket will include a football bus ticket or a train ticket to Green Park Station. They are improving the steps and putting in an access ramp from Brook Drive into the new development. I mentioned the flooding and they said they are well aware of that and will be including flood defences.

Our Memorial Garden will be incorporated into a bigger landscape project; this is good news as it gives us chance to input into how this will look. The landscape architect is going to send us his drawings so that we can all see what the plan is.

They are very keen on getting fan support for the project, they already have the planning permission, but they do want to get us all on board. Their vision is being an area like Wembley Way, if you have been to Wembley recently it has transformed incredibly into a vibrant area, with shopping, housing and leisure all merging together. It would certainly add to our match day experience! I now have direct contact with them so if you have any further questions or comments please send them over.

Via latest STAR newsletter.

Tentatively positive.

[On Strings]

Royal Elm Park Development

I attended the presentation and asked all the questions that had been sent into us. The first thing to be built will be the multi-storey car park, and at the same time the retain/leisure complex. There are plenty of disabled parking spaces in the multi-storey and there will also be an additional car park under the leisure complex. All our existing disabled car parking spaces attached to the stadium will also remain.

There is a bus interchange for local buses and football buses. They have worked on an arrangement where your match ticket will include a football bus ticket or a train ticket to Green Park Station. They are improving the steps and putting in an access ramp from Brook Drive into the new development. I mentioned the flooding and they said they are well aware of that and will be including flood defences.

Our Memorial Garden will be incorporated into a bigger landscape project; this is good news as it gives us chance to input into how this will look. The landscape architect is going to send us his drawings so that we can all see what the plan is.

They are very keen on getting fan support for the project, they already have the planning permission, but they do want to get us all on board. Their vision is being an area like Wembley Way, if you have been to Wembley recently it has transformed incredibly into a vibrant area, with shopping, housing and leisure all merging together. It would certainly add to our match day experience! I now have direct contact with them so if you have any further questions or comments please send them over.

Via latest STAR newsletter.

Tentatively positive.

With the exception of a huge loss of parking spaces. Buses don't suit everyone. Perhaps more so in L1 or L2, attendances are really going to be hit IMO.

[RoyalBlue]

Via latest STAR newsletter.

Tentatively positive.

With the exception of a huge loss of parking spaces. Buses don't suit everyone. Perhaps more so in L1 or L2, attendances are really going to be hit IMO.

Agreed. Disruption caused during the development, reduced parking etc., coupled with the things we are currently enduring on the pitch, could well create the perfect storm when it comes to attendances.

[Clyde1998]

If they're looking at free football buses or train travel to the ground, you may find demand for car parking drops massively - especially from the external towns (thinking Bracknell; Basingstoke; Newbury; etc). Although that wouldn't produce the flexibility a lot of people would need.

[Whore Jackie]

Suspect they may chuck in a train from Reading Station to Green Park or the F1 bus to the Stadium and that would be it. Can't imagine their generosity would extend to the regional football buses.

Principle's great mind, been to a few European games where you get free regional travel all day on a match day.

[Orion1871]

Given they stripped the club of the car park and the hotel as assets a few free buses and trains is the least they can do.

[blueroyals]

Would appear from the plans it will be rather more difficult to expand the stadium in the future?

[Hendo]

Would appear from the plans it will be rather more difficult to expand the stadium in the future?

Guess it'll probably just be the East and South stands for expansion if it ever came to that. IIRC they wouldn't be able to expand the West anyway.

[Whore Jackie]

Would appear from the plans it will be rather more difficult to expand the stadium in the future?

Guess it'll probably just be the East and South stands for expansion if it ever came to that. IIRC they wouldn't be able to expand the West anyway.

Pretty sure the original plans were a staggered expansion, with the East stand first, mirroring the higher West stand. Some sort of hospitality block across Y22 and Y23, and half of the Y21 and Y24 blocks. North and South stands expansion only after that.

[RG30]

https://publicregister.reading.gov.uk/s ... 5/pl251655

Planning application now on Reading Borough Council website.