Defence Online

A vacant office building in Reading once occupied by Auto Trader, the company founded by Sir John Madejski, is set to be demolished and transformed into a high-quality residential scheme by a boutique property developer.Equity Real Estate Developments is looking to breathe new life into the redundant two-acre brownfield site at Lower Earley Way, Lower Early. A full planning application has been submitted to Wokingham Borough Council for the “comprehensive redevelopment” of the land. The developer is proposing to knock down Hartman House and Auto Trader House and construct 126 apartments in two block rising to four storeys in height.The buildings will feature a mixture of one-, two- and three-bedroom flats.The scheme, designed by DMWR Architects, will also include 145 car parking spaces and “generous high quality landscaping”.A planning statement prepared by Savills on behalf of Equity RED said the proposed scheme offers an exciting opportunity to deliver high quality housing and will contribute towards the borough’s five-year housing land supply.It added that the development would significantly improve the appearance of the site from Danehill and would bring the “redundant parcel of brownfield land” back into use.Wokingham Borough Council will be accepting comments on the proposed scheme until 13 September.