WELCOME
BACKGROUND
Beechcroft Developments Ltd (Beechcroft) was selected by the BBC as its development partner for the 40-hectare site at Caversham Park, which the BBC acquired in 1941. Caversham Park is however now surplus to the BBC’s requirements, and it is looking to dispose of the site which includes the architecturally and historically significant Caversham Park House and its glorious parkland setting.
Beechcroft’s vision for the site seeks to address the very real local issues of the severe shortage of retirement housing, affordable housing and publicly accessible open space whilst delivering high quality complementary development that respects the historic significance of Caversham Park. It’s an extremely exciting opportunity for the Borough and one that Beechcroft is committed to getting right.
Consultation took place in 2021 including dialogue with locals, consultees and stakeholders which has continued across 2022, enabling refinements to be made to the proposals.
Significant new heritage work, undertaken by Montagu Evans, has led Beechcroft to revisit the history of the park and the historic landscape and has gone on to inform the revised proposals. As with the original submission, enabling redevelopment of the site will preserve a special place from falling into disrepair while providing an opportunity to open Caversham Park to the local community for the first time in generations.
Consistent with the original plans, the revised proposals still seek to sensitively convert the Grade II listed manor house into older persons assisted living units, provide a separate new specialist older persons care home and introduce a range of new housing within the site including independent-living older persons homes, market and affordable homes.
The proposed revisions seek to minimise the interventions required to the Grade II listed Caversham Park House to better respond to its important architectural features whilst significantly amending the siting, layout and design of the new buildings and other infrastructure in order to be more sympathetic to the setting of the listed building and the remaining historic landscape of the Grade II Registered Park and Garden.
Beechcroft is delighted to share the revised proposals with you before these are formally submitted to Reading Borough Council.
