Royal Elm Park

[Whore Jackie]

Ticketless boarding post-match suggests they might do a bit better than they do now

Thought that was already in place

[genome]

They rarely check my ticket when boarding post-match, at least the ones going back to town.

[WoodleyRoyal]

Planning approved

[Royal Ginger]

Ticketless boarding post-match suggests they might do a bit better than they do now

Agreed, the main thing that makes the bus travel a ball-ache currently is away fans and day trippers trying to pay in pennies. If everyone just got on with it it'd be quick and easy. The way back is much much quicker.

[royalp-we]

Almost over the line. Sport England withdrew their 'dome pitch removal' worries; subject to the plans at Forrest school going ahead; and the scheme was successfully voted for and deferred pending approval.

The club have also got a lot of work to finally do now to show councillers in depth plans of the bus system (NH said free travel est approx £2m per season to the club) and parking alternatives; also the REP group need to quantify plans for 10% of the 7 blocks of flats as affordable housing, or if they plan to pay their way out of it to put towards affordable housing at another site elsewhere in Reading.

REP is go.

Well, the roads, convention centre / ice rink is... It sounds like they will build that facility first due to the capital outlay and then see what's remaining for the apartments, bars, open spaces etc.

[Silver Fox]

I got the impression from Nige that they needed to flog the flats to be able to pay for the convention centre, hence his lack of desire to make too many affordable?

[bobby1413]

Plans approved - any idea when the actual development will begin?

[RG30]

REP website suggested 2018 onwards.

[Hound]

Regarding the free travel, the idea in principle is good enough, but driving into the town centre on a Saturday to find a car park is a complete pain in the backside at the best of times, esp if a load of footy fans start to use the car parks as well. I'm guessing there is nothing in the plans to build a new town centre car park

I think they need to do something airport style, where you park in a big field somewhere nearby away from the centre and there is a regular shuttle going back and forth

[genome]

The most pertinent question is,

Will there be any pubs?

[Hound]

The most pertinent question is,

Will there be any pubs?

There really needs to be. Though knowing Reading it will prob be a prosecco bar serving olives and charcuterie

[muirinho]

Regarding the free travel, the idea in principle is good enough, but driving into the town centre on a Saturday to find a car park is a complete pain in the backside at the best of times, esp if a load of footy fans start to use the car parks as well. I'm guessing there is nothing in the plans to build a new town centre car park

I think they need to do something airport style, where you park in a big field somewhere nearby away from the centre and there is a regular shuttle going back and forth

Agreed - TC shuttle for people arriving by public transport, Park & ride shuttle for drivers. If the carparking was say £5 and shuttlebus was included, that's better than what we've got now. You should pay quite a bit extra to park at the stadium, except for Disabled parking.

Should include extra money towards Readibus as well, which could go straight to the stadium, so people who aren't disabled as such, but would struggle hanging around waiting for shuttle buses, could be catered for.

There's no reason why this couldn't work out very well. and having pubs/restaurants to go to around the stadium would be good too.

[genome]

http://www.readingfc.co.uk/news/article ... m=referral

Royal Elm Park is set to deliver a significant stimulus to the region

This has certainly delivered significant stimulus to my region

[Norfolk Royal]

As others have said, not quite so specifically, the big question remains. Will there be a Spoons?

[Elm Park Kid]

Happy to hear that this is going forward. I mean we need to keep in perspective that the parking/travel situation only concerns 23-30 days a year. It would be crazy to put that before a massive new investment project that will give people homes, jobs and amenities all year round.

If there are pubs for people to go to in the new development that will make the travel better as people can come up a couple of hours earlier in the knowledge that there's actually someone decent to have a drink/bite to eat. Rather than now when people cry if they have to turn up earlier than 2:45.

As for getting into Reading town centre - surely you should be taking public transport to do that.

[Winchester Royal]

I got the impression from Nige that they needed to flog the flats to be able to pay for the convention centre, hence his lack of desire to make too many affordable?

I thought the S106 was going to provide for the affordable housing quote to be built elsewhere, allowing REP to be exclusive of any social housing. Might have just been gossip but it seemed a viable option.

[muirinho]

I got the impression from Nige that they needed to flog the flats to be able to pay for the convention centre, hence his lack of desire to make too many affordable?

I thought the S106 was going to provide for the affordable housing quote to be built elsewhere, allowing REP to be exclusive of any social housing. Might have just been gossip but it seemed a viable option.

I got the impression from Nige that they needed to flog the flats to be able to pay for the convention centre, hence his lack of desire to make too many affordable?

I thought the S106 was going to provide for the affordable housing quote to be built elsewhere, allowing REP to be exclusive of any social housing. Might have just been gossip but it seemed a viable option.

Think they still have the same issue, they need to flog expensive flats to have enough money to be able to build the conference centre and handover S106 money or build affordable flats

[Nameless]

Building flats is different to selling flats.
I would imagine their target market is not little Darren and Gemma looking for their first home, they will be looking at investors who no longer see London as good value but will see this development as somewhere to get in early with a view to making a profit a couple of years down the line. These sort of people will buy off plan and won't really care when the flats are actually built because their investment will be appreciating anyway.
I would imagine they may already have people to take most of the first block.

[Za Vas]

Apologies if I've misinterpreted your response nameless but there will still be a requirement for some affordable housing provision.

Surprised it's only 10% and they're allowing it off-site though. There must be a fairly solid viability argument behind that so the construction costs must be very high - although building above a landfill will do that.

You're right that they could present a good investment but without a decent public transport set up I imagine the bulk of that market would be looking elsewhere.

[Nameless]

The 10% doesn't need to be in the first tranche though. Build the ones that generate then income first. The plan shows one block in phase 1 and the rest later so clearly the finances are predicated on not needing the sales from all the flats to fund the project.
It makes sense for the 10% to be allowed off site (it doesn't matter where the cheap houses are as long as they are available). Use the provision to build them close to schools, shops etc to strengthen existing communities.
Not sure public transport for the developemnt would be an issue, there are pretty significant public transport links going in, these should be fine for Day to day use the only concern is whether they can get 24,000 to and from games. Other grounds manage it so we should be able to if they get the plans right and the fans are willing to change. Neither can be assumed !