Further to Minute 25 of the meeting held on 13 March 2024, the Committee considered a report that recommended the adoption of a final version of the Christchurch Conservation Area Appraisal covering the area of Christchurch within Redlands and Katesgrove wards, following the completion of a public consultation. The following documents were appended to the report:

·                Appendix 1 - Equality Impact Assessment

·                Appendix 2 - Statement of Consultation on the Draft Christchurch Conservation Area Appraisal

·                Appendix 3 - Christchurch Conservation Area Appraisal (adoption version)

The Appraisal had been carried out as a community project led by the Reading Conservation Areas Advisory Committee (CAAC) with assistance from Council planning officers and interested local community representatives. At the meeting held on 13 March 2024 the Committee had agreed for a public consultation to be carried out on a draft version of the Christchurch Conservation Area Appraisal to replace the previous Appraisal which dated from 2010.

The Appraisal recommended that a number of boundary changes be made to significantly extend the conservation area to include properties on Whitley Street, Basingstoke Road, Milman Road, Glebe Road, Christchurch Gardens, Christchurch Road and Cintra Avenue. The consultation had taken place between 5 April and 31 May 2024 and a total of 14 responses had been received. The main points arising following the consultation process were summarised in the report. A summary of each consultation response was provided in the Statement of Consultation (attached at Appendix 2) which also highlighted the changes that had been made to the Appraisal following the consultation process.

The report explained should the Christchurch Conservation Area Appraisal be adopted it would result in the recommended extensions to the conservation area being confirmed. This would have implications for the operation of planning powers in the area and would alter the permitted development rights that would apply. The Appraisal would also become a material consideration in the determination of planning applications in the area.

At the invitation of the Chair, Evelyn Williams, Chair of the Reading CAAC, gave a presentation on the work that had been carried out by the CAAC to conduct the Appraisal review and to prepare the Appraisal document.

Following a discussion of the item the Committee thanked Evelyn Williams and other volunteer members of the CAAC for the work they had done on the Christchurch Conservation Area Appraisal.

Resolved –

(1)           That the responses received during the consultation on the Draft Christchurch Conservation Area Appraisal, as attached at Appendix 2, be noted;

(2)           That the Christchurch Conservation Area Appraisal, as attached at Appendix 3, be adopted.