The Committee received and noted the list of delegated decisions from previous meetings.

To confirm the Minutes of the Strategic Environment, Planning and Transport Committee held on 19 November 2025.

The Minutes of the meeting held on 19 November 2025 were confirmed as a correct record and signed by the Chair.

To receive the Minutes for the meeting of the Traffic Management Sub-Committee held on 26 November 2025.

The Minutes of the Traffic Management Sub-Committee held on 26 November 2025 were received and noted.

To receive the Minutes for meetings of the:

·                Atomic Weapons Establishment (AWE) Local Liaison Committee on 6 November 2025;

·                Cleaner Air Safer Transport Forum on 12 June 2025 and 2 December 2025;

·                Reading Climate Change Partnership Board on 16 October 2025.

The Minutes of the following meetings of other bodies were received and noted:

• Atomic Weapons Establishment (AWE) Local Liaison Committee on 6 November 2025;
• Cleaner Air Safer Transport Forum on 12 June 2025 and 2 December 2025;
• Reading Climate Change Partnership Board on 16 October 2025.

A report recommending that the Committee adopt the Eldon Square Conservation Area Appraisal following the completion of a public consultation. A short presentation will also be given by representatives from the Reading Conservation Area Advisory Committee (CAAC).

Further to Minute 12 of the meeting held on 19 November 2025, the Committee considered a report that outlined the results of the public consultation that had been held in relation to the draft Eldon Square Conservation Area Appraisal. The report recommended adopting a final version of the Appraisal, within which minor extensions to the conservation area boundary were proposed. The following documents were appended to the report:

The report explained that Eldon Square Conservation Area, Reading’s oldest conservation area, had first been designated in 1972 and had been expanded in 1982 to include Watlington Street, Eldon Street, Victoria Street and Montague Street. The last appraisal review had taken place in 2007 and had not resulted in any further boundary changes.

The latest review had been carried out by means of a community?led project by the Reading Conservation Area Advisory Committee (CAAC) on behalf of Reading Borough Council, supported by Council planning officers and interested community representatives. The review had utilised the Oxford Character Assessment Toolkit, recommended by Historic England as a methodology for assessing landscape and built environment character, but with the approach adapted by the CAAC to suit local circumstances.

The review had formed the basis of the draft Eldon Square Conservation Area Appraisal prepared by the CAAC. The draft Appraisal had been considered by the Committee at its meeting on 19 November 2025, at which approval had been granted for public consultation. In addition to comprehensively assessing the conservation area, identifying issues and vulnerabilities, and setting out an Action Plan for the area, the Appraisal also proposed minor extensions to the boundary to bring an additional five addresses into the conservation area. The existing and proposed amended boundaries were shown in Figure 1 of the report and in the proposed Appraisal at Appendix 3.

The public consultation had been conducted over an eight-week period between 25 November 2025 and 20 January 2026. A total of 14 responses had been received, which were summarised in the Statement of Consultation at Appendix 2. Points raised during the consultation included suggested wording changes, proposed amendments to maps, a query regarding the consideration of the climate emergency in relation to expanding the conservation area, and concerns about waste management, traffic management, and newly painted double yellow lines. The Statement of Consultation also set out the Council’s responses to each of the comments received. 

An updated version of the Eldon Square Conservation Area Appraisal was attached to the report at Appendix 3, it incorporated detailed amendments to wording and maps, as well as other updates to ensure the document remained current. The changes made arising from the public consultation comments were highlighted in the Statement of Consultation (Appendix 2).

At the invitation of the Chair, Evelyn Williams, Chair of the Reading CAAC, gave a presentation on the work undertaken by the CAAC to develop  ...  view the full minutes text for item 19.

A report summarising the achievements and final outcomes of the Clean Air Living Matters: Exploring Reading (CALM:ER) Air Quality Awareness Programme.

The Committee considered a report that updated on the Clean Air Living Matters; Exploring Reading (CALM:ER), Air Quality Awareness Programme following the completion of the project. The following documents were appended to the report:

• Appendix 1: Table 1 - Summary of Key Performance Indicators for CALM;
• Appendix 2: Table 2 - Performance against KPIs.

The report explained that CALM:ER was a two-year educational project funded by the Department for Environment, Food & Rural Affairs (Defra) through the Air Quality Grant Scheme 2022-2023. The purpose of the project had been to engage primary and secondary school students to increase their knowledge and awareness of air quality issues, learn about its causes, and understand impacts and find solutions through behavioural change. The programme had been delivered across schools in partnership with the Council, Stantec, the University of Reading and Design Nature between February 2023 and July 2025.

The report stated that the programme had made substantial progress across all of its key performance indicators (KPIs), had exceed many of its original targets and had left a lasting educational and environmental legacy.  A main success of the programme had been to directly reach over 9,000 children, over 2,000 through practical knowledge sessions and nearly 7,000 through awareness activities.

The report highlighted significant progress in engaging the wider community and parents. Through school?gate conversations and community events, over 860 parents and carers had been directly involved, with an estimated additional 17,000 to 24,000 adults reached indirectly through CALM materials shared at home and at public events. The outreach had encouraged important discussions about air quality within households and contributed to positive behaviour changes such as reduced car idling and more frequent active travel.

Assessments of the programme showed strong learning gains had been achieved, with primary pupils improving their knowledge by 28% and secondary pupils by 9%. These results indicated that the educational materials were effective and easy to understand. Pupils were highly engaged with the presentations, videos, and hands?on monitoring activities, and were able to apply what they had learned confidently during planning and discussions. Beyond knowledge gains, the programme had succeeded in supporting behavioural change. Action planning activities had been completed in 8 primary schools and 5 secondary schools, where pupils developed and presented proposals to improve air quality in their schools and wider communities.

CALM had made a strong contribution in-terms of its curriculum integration and, although air quality was not currently a standalone topic within the national curriculum, the programme’s materials had aligned well with subjects such as science, geography, mathematics, and citizenship. The development of a dedicated Key Stage 2 lesson plan, in collaboration with the University of Reading and a local teacher, had further embedded air quality education into mainstream learning and would remain accessible as part of the university’s climate education resources. Additionally, the availability of materials on the Council’s and Design Nature’s websites ensured that the programme’s legacy would continue beyond its official end.

The report explained the CALM:ER programme had aligned well with priorities  ...  view the full minutes text for item 20.

A report responding to the recommendations of the Active Travel Task and Finish Group and providing an overview of recent and planned active travel schemes, outcomes achieved, and partnership working.

Further to Minute 14 of the meeting held on 19 November 2025, the Committee considered a report on the recommendations of the Active Travel Task and Finish Group. The report provided an officer evaluation of the Task and Finish Group’s recommendations and provided an update on the delivery and outcomes of recent active travel schemes in the Borough, as well as providing detail on the Council’s partnership working and setting out future plans in respect of active travel. A summary table containing an officer assessment of the recommendations of the Task and Finish Group and their current implementation status was attached to the report at Appendix A. A copy of the Active Travel Task and Finish Group findings and recommendations report was attached at Appendix B.

The report stated that the Council had adopted the Reading Transport Strategy 2040 (the Local Transport Plan (LPT)) in October 2024. The LTP aimed to promote healthier, greener, and more equal communities through sustainable travel and reduced reliance on private cars. Active travel was a central feature of the strategy which was supported by several sub-strategies, these included the Local Cycling and Walking Infrastructure Plan (LCWIP) and Public Rights of Way Improvement Plan (PROWIP). The councillor-led, cross party, Task and Finish Group had been set up by the Committee specifically to scrutinise the implementation of the Council’s active travel strategy.

The report highlighted that the Council had secured substantial external investment and had delivered an ambitious programme of active travel infrastructure improvements in recent years. Key achievements included pedestrianising areas around Reading Station and Station Hill, enhancing the Reading Station pedestrian subway, creating new pedestrian and cycle routes such as the Napier Road underpass and Christchurch Bridge and the delivery of east-west cycle infrastructure as part of National Cycle Network (NCN) Route?422. Additional projects included new shared use paths (such as London Road and the A33), cycle lanes on major roads (e.g. Oxford Road and Shinfield Road), enhanced pedestrian facilities throughout the town, expanded cycle parking (with cycle hubs in the town centre and at Reading Station) and the ongoing programme of road and pavement improvements across the Borough.

The Council had delivered these infrastructure improvements alongside a comprehensive programme of initiatives aimed at encouraging greater uptake of active travel. These included the introduction of various School Streets, Bikeability training in schools, Learn to Ride sessions for younger and/or less confident cyclists, road safety education in primary schools, adult cycle training, and cycle repair and maintenance events. Other examples included Walk to School Week, the Beat the Street walking and cycling challenge, a dedicated School Active Travel Officer (through Sustrans), Wellbeing Walks, the promotion of active travel schemes at various community events, and the ongoing programme of maintenance works for cycling and walking routes in the town.

The report stated that the Council had worked closely with a wide range of partners and stakeholders to deliver active travel schemes. This had included collaboration with neighbouring local authorities on cross boundary routes, with schools  ...  view the full minutes text for item 21.

A report outlining the Department for Transport’s (DfT) Local Transport Grant funding for the period 2026/27 to 2029/30 and seeking approval to submit the Council’s initial Local Transport Delivery Plan to Government.

The Committee considered a report that set out the Department for Transport’s (DfT) Local Transport Grant funding allocation for the period 2026/27 to 2029/30 and sought approval to submit the Council’s initial Local Transport Delivery Plan (LTDP) to Government. The report also updated on progress and outcomes on the delivery of transport schemes and initiatives in Reading over recent years. A copy of the proposed Local Transport Delivery Plan (March 2026) was attached to the report at Appendix A. 

The report set out the Government’s new approach to local transport funding. The new approach replaced the previous competitive bidding model with a needs-based formula for allocating grant funding to local transport authorities. Under the new system, local authorities would be required to produce a Local Transport Delivery Plan setting out how the Integrated Transport Fund (ITF) grant would be prioritised, including details of proposed schemes, interventions, programmes and packages of expenditure. Initial versions of Delivery Plans were required to be submitted to the DfT by 20 March 2026, with a final version then needed by 18 September 2026.

The report also set out Reading’s grant funding allocation for capital and revenue grants. The allocation covered capital funding for the period 2026/27 to 2029/30 and revenue funding for the period 2026/27 to 2028/29. Under the new funding model, grant allocations would continue to be based on different modes, such as highways maintenance, bus services and active travel, which would be consolidated into ITF grant payments. The new approach would provide local authorities with longer-term certainty and greater flexibility to decide how best to utilise the funding, with fewer grant-specific conditions than in previous years. The report also confirmed that the Council would continue to receive a separate grant for the provision of Bikeability cycle training in schools for the period 2026/27 to 2028/29.

The report noted that whilst authorities had been provided with greater flexibility, the Government had also made it clear that the grant funding needed to be used to achieve national priorities which would be set through the Local Transport Outcome Framework. This would outline measurable priority outcomes that the Government wanted local authorities to achieve and would reflect shared national and local priorities for transport which would be aligned with the upcoming Integrated National Transport Strategy.

The report stated that the Council had made considerable progressin delivering a range of local transport schemes and improvements, in part due to successfully having secured significant amounts of external grant funding through the competitive bidding process. This had allowed the Council to improve travel options for residents, with a particular focus on sustainable transport choices, and aligned with the overall vision and objectives set out in Reading’s Local Transport Plan (LTP). A broad range of transport schemes and improvements had been delivered that included major upgrades to Reading’s railway stations, new bus and cycling infrastructure and active travel initiatives.

The outcomes achieved from the work to promote sustainable travel had resulted in Reading achieving amongst the highest levels of sustainable  ...  view the full minutes text for item 22.