130 Westwood Road, Tilehurst, Reading, RG31 6LL

1. 1.The proposed dwelling, by reason of its siting, size and layout, would result in a cramped and overdeveloped form of development that would relate poorly to its plot, and would fail to reflect the established pattern and form of development in the surrounding area. Furthermore, the cramped overly intensive nature of the proposal would conflict with the established character of the area which comprises characteristically spacious dwelling plots. The enclosed frontage introduces a visually dominant and uncharacteristic feature that is at odds with the prevailing open character of the street scene. As such, the proposal would fail to preserve or enhance the character of the area and does not represent high quality design, contrary to Policies CC7, H2, H10 and H11 of the Reading Borough Local Plan 2019 and paragraphs 96, 129, 131, 135 and 136 of the NPPF 2024.
2. 2.The proposed dwelling would fail to provide an adequate standard of residential accommodation, as the one-bedroom dwelling would deliver approximately 33.5sqm of internal floorspace, significantly below the minimum requirement set out in the nationally described space standards. As such, the proposal represents a cramped and unsatisfactory form of accommodation which fails to meet the requirements for high quality residential development harmful to the amenity of future occupiers and is therefore contrary to Policies H2, H5 and H11 of the Reading Borough Local Plan 2019 and paragraphs 124 and 135 of the NPPF 2024
3. 3.The proposed dwelling would result in an unacceptable standard of amenity for future occupiers by reason of its constrained layout, proximity to site boundaries and poor-quality external environment. The close relationship with boundary treatments and other enclosing features (including parked vehicles and trees and other domestic paraphernalia) would give rise to a poor outlook, an undue sense of enclosure and restricted access to daylight and sunlight. In addition, the proposal fails to provide adequate and functional private amenity space. The development would therefore lead to unacceptable living conditions for future occupiers, harmful to their amenity. As such the proposal is contrary to Policies CC8, H10 and H5 of the Reading Borough Local Plan 2019 and paragraphs 124, 129, 135 and 198 of the NPPF 2024
4. 4.The proposed dwelling fails to demonstrate resistance and resilience to climate including incorporating water conservation measures. As such the proposal is contrary to Policies CC2 and CC3 of the Reading Borough Local Plan and paragraphs 161, 163 and 166 of the NPPF 2024.
5. 5.In the absence of a completed legal agreement to secure an acceptable contribution towards the provision of Affordable Housing, the proposal fails to contribute adequately to the housing needs of Reading Borough, and the need to provide sustainable and inclusive mixed and balanced communities.

From the council's decision notice.

Postcode

RG31 6LL

Application type

Full planning permission

Scale / size

Small

Date validated

1 April 2026

Consultation expiry

22 April 2026

Consultation end

22 April 2026

Target decision date

22 April 2026

Application expires

27 May 2026

Statutory period

56 days

Planning Portal ID

PP-14787889

Documents

10