CADRA ROUND UP NOVEMBER 2025

CADRA OPEN MEETING

PREVENTING HATE AND HARM / PROMOTING HEALTH AND HAPPINESS

19th NOVEMBER 7:30pm at St Barnabas Church, Emmer Green

Residents will have read about the very recent incident at Reading College involving a knife - BBC News. The incident serves as a timely reminder of just how important our November meeting is.

Amanda Stephens will remind us of the events that led to the murder of her son Olly Stephens at Bugs Bottom, Emmer Green. 5 years on, his bereaved mother has created the charity ‘The Olly Stephens Trust’. Amanda will explain what ‘Olly’s Work’ does and how it seeks to educate others.

Amanda’s presentation will be followed by a talk from Reading Borough Council’s (RBC) Community Safety Manager, Sarah Gardner and RBC’s Safer Public Realm Officer, Kiar Greyfaulk, explaining how RBC works with partner organisations to help protect young people. There will also be a panel discussion where the committee will welcome questions from the floor.

There will also be a prize draw. Attendees will have the chance to win two tickets to Reading Rep’s Christmas production of A Christmas Carol set in Huntley and Palmers Biscuit factory. Other prizes include: Emmer Green Past and Present book reprinted by CADRA, Caversham Court Gardens a Heritage Guide book, a Goody Bag from No5 and some packs of our wonderful CADRA Heritage Greetings Cards.

The meeting is open to all (not just CADRA members). Refreshments will be available. Doors will open at 7pm with the opportunity to meet the local police team between 7pm and 7:30 pm.

There will be plenty of parking for the event at the Emmer Green Doctor’s Surgery Car Park and the Emmer Green Primary School Car Park, both on St Barnabas Road. Please let us know if you are disabled and require parking at the church itself.

CAVERSHAM AFC

CADRA is delighted to announce that a donation from a CADRA member has enabled The Olly Stephens Trust to sponsor the Caversham AFC Red Dragons Team for 2025/2026. The CADRA Committee understands how important it is that the young residents have access to sports facilities in Caversham and some committee members went to watch the first home game in their new shirts.

PLANNING

The controversial proposal for up to 70 homes west of Kidmore End Road was discussed at the RBC Planning Applications Committee (PAC) meeting on 5th November. It extends the current development on former Reading Golf Club land into the South Oxfordshire District Council (SODC) area. There are two applications for Reading to consider. The one discussed at the meeting (PL/25/0731) decided on the formal RBC comment to SODC.

In response to the RBC officer’s report, CADRA sent comments to councillors prior to the meeting, reiterating our opposition. We said that in our opinion the report underestimated the amount of Section 106 money required: in particular, that the suggested £50,000 for upgrading junctions (including The Last Crumb) was significantly undervalued, given that the junctions were already over capacity. We also said the cost of provision of health care was underestimated.

We were pleased to see that councillors seemed to take note of these comments and the proposed Section 106 payment that RBC is now seeking was increased from £50,000 to £150,000, and the provisions for GP surgeries was also changed to provision for GP surgeries and health care.

The second application (PL/25/0691), relating to issues within Reading Borough, has been delegated to planning officers and is not due to be discussed at a PAC meeting. CADRA has asked local councillors to "call in" the application, so that the officer report would be available to view and the issues debated in public at PAC. This approach would provide residents with transparency regarding the documentation and allow SODC to evaluate the extent of inconvenience and financial burden experienced by Reading residents.

The decision on the main outline application lies with SODC (P25/S1431/O). If approved, all the detail would be reserved for a separate planning application.

On the same former golf course, the developer of the housing currently under construction (PL/25/1531) has submitted biodiversity net gain proposals - purchasing 3.4 units of grassland near Beaconsfield for £80k to meet planning conditions.

OTHER APPLICATIONS

In Emmer Green Ward - a new dwelling on spare land at 25 Tredegar Road (PL/23/0549) has been granted permission. However, an extension of the children's nursery at land to the rear of 88 Knights Way (PL/25/0883) has been withdrawn - the facility would have provided space for 30 under-threes. Concerns were made about environmental impact, noise, and traffic.

In Caversham Heights Ward - at 2 Conisboro Way (PL/25/1524), a Lawful Development Certificate has been sought for a dwelling extension and two outbuildings on a previously run-down empty bungalow - a welcome improvement though details on the garden buildings remain unclear. And at 1 St Peters Hill (PL/25/0921) in the conservation area, work has been approved, with conditions, to remove the parking space and replace with appropriate wrought iron gates, fencing, and landscaping. The proposed detached dwelling on land adjacent to Darlands on The Warren (PL/25/1174) has been withdrawn. There have been concerns about its impact on the major landscape feature and preserving this undeveloped open space.

In Caversham Ward - 18 Church Road (PL/25/1597) by the river seeks an extension, where previously concerns were raised about flood risk, and at 43 Church Road, Banksfoot Cottage opposite the church (PL/25/1452), a welcome restoration to replace a rotting window to match the listed building's character. At Chillis, 40 Church Street the unauthorised signage and roller blind have been removed.

In Thames Ward - the appeal for five townhouses on land adjacent to 24 George Street (PL/24/0900) has been dismissed, with the inspector citing concerns about character and appearance, flood risk location, unsatisfactory living conditions, and failure to deliver required biodiversity net gain. On the other side of Caversham Bridge, the old Crowne Plaza (PL/25/1455) conversion to a Village Hotel is seeking advertisement consent for its external rebranding.

Other applications in South Oxfordshire District Council: in Woodcote there is a proposal for 41 dwellings to provide a later living community (P25/S3372/O). While outside Reading's jurisdiction, this development would likely increase traffic through Caversham. The Redgrave Pinsent Rowing Lake (P25/S1611/FUL) has approval for their new boat store, with conditions including ecological monitoring over 30 years and restrictions on construction traffic, addressing longstanding concerns about the uncontrolled Henley Road crossroads. Just out of Reading on Kiln Road permission was granted for a new reservoir next to the existing one (P23/S3410/FUL). Whilst the enlargement is not a problem, CADRA expressed concerns about the construction passing through Emmer Green and Caversham, but the planning office discounted this.

CAVERSHAM COURT GARDENS

Residents will have noted the damage done to the main gates at Caversham Court Gardens. The Friends of Caversham Court Gardens are liaising on the impact that this may have for the gardens. The Friends are hoping to still be able to run their Christmas Carol event which is planned for Monday 15th of December. The annual Christmas Tree Sale will be on 6th Dec from 9:30am-12:30pm.

AWARDS FOR CAVERSHAM BUSINESSES

Caversham Businesses stole the show at the recent Pride of Reading Awards 2025. Vegivores won the Hospitality Award, Fourbears Books won the Independent Retailer of the Year Award and Walk Works was named the Community of the Year.

CAVMAS

If you’re looking for a festive evening and to do some Christmas shopping, the Caversham Traders are hosting Cavmas on 5th December, from 4:30pm until 9pm. A local school will be performing music in St Martin's Precinct that evening.

BIKE HUB

While it is not strictly a North of the River project, CADRA is pleased to see the opening of the Bike Hub in Reading which offers a bike library and the opportunity to learn about bike maintenance. If you have an old bike sitting in your garage that could be used by a child, please consider donating it. Opening hours are on the website or you can email them at readingbikehub@gmail.com.

NORTH READING SAFER NEIGHBOURHOOD FORUM (NRSNF)

There will be a police Have Your Say Day (HYSD) at 7pm on Nov 19th at St Barnabas Church, just prior to our November Open Meeting.

A number of residents have raised with CADRA, NRSNF and HYSD the problem of electrically modified bikes driving at speed on the pavements of North Reading. The Public Space Protection Order which will hopefully help prevent this issue and will be discussed by Reading Council next week. If, as expected, it comes into force Police will be able to administer £100 fines for anti social use of e-scooters and e-bikes. Council officers will be able to administer £100 fines for people not picking up dog mess, for not stopping drinking in a public place if asked to, and for aggressive begging.

ISSUES RAISED BY MEMBERS

CADRA is delighted to report that the missing railings outside of Waltons Jewellers in Central Caversham have been replaced.

We are also delighted to report that work has been done on the playground at Emmer Green to ensure that the entrance no longer gets waterlogged.

We have had concerns raised by visually impaired residents about issues with leaves on pavements. We are trying to work with RBC to find out what can be done.

CONSULTATIONS

There are two RBC surveys that you might be interested in. The first is about waste management and recycling and is open until 14th December - Re3 Consultation. The second is regarding School Admission Policy for 2027/2028 which closes on 30th November. There is a lot of information along with this survey, and parents may want to read the documentation carefully. CADRA notes the question regarding Micklands School - Schools Admission Policy Consultation.

As usual, please share this with others you think might be interested and encourage them to Join Us.