News Archive

University puts plans for campus halls of residence redevelopment on public display – University of Reading

The University of Reading will be holding a two day exhibition to consult on its plans for the redevelopment of halls of residence on its Whiteknights campus on 11 and 12 July.

The exhibition will outline the University's plans to provide top-quality

accommodation for its students of the future by redeveloping a number of its older halls over the next four years. The project forms part of the University's 10 year plan for the whole campus, which was the subject of a public consultation last autumn.

The first phase of the halls' redevelopment will involve the creation of around 920 rooms, ready for occupation in 2010. This will involve demolishing and rebuilding on the site of the existing, but largely unoccupied, Whiteknights Hall and the building of a new hall next to the existing Childs Hall. Childs Hall itself will be removed once the new building is in place. The exhibition will also provide information on a subsequent phase, which will bring the total of new bedrooms on this site to around 1850 by 2012.

The halls redevelopment scheme will promote a new integrated community approach to student accommodation within a parkland setting. It will comprise mixed self-catered accommodation including town house and eight bed flat style accommodation, complete with a social hub to include a flexible catering outlet.

The University is keen to elicit the views of staff, students, the public and

local organisations and businesses, prior to plans for the Halls Redevelopment being finalised and submitted to Wokingham and Reading Borough Councils in the autumn.

Prospective students attending the recent Open Days at the University were shown the designs and asked for their input into the type of accommodation the university should be providing. There was a very positive response, with particular enthusiasm for en-suite/self-catering accommodation, reflecting the university's plans for the halls redevelopment scheme. The University has also conducted student focus groups and is briefing representatives of Reading University Students Union.

Tony Downes, Deputy Vice Chancellor of the University of Reading, said: "The University has always been proud of its reputation as a residential centre and is aware of the importance that this has played in the experience of so many of its students. This redevelopment is not about expanding the number of students at the University, but is rather about giving us the opportunity to enhance the student experience and to consolidate the accommodation we provide for students on the Whiteknights campus.

"We do not underestimate the impact the residential facilities have upon new students choosing their preferred University, and are therefore aiming to provide innovative and modern facilities in a beautiful setting, helping to distinguish the University from many of its competitors."

Everyone interested in the plans is invited to attend the public exhibition

being held in the foyer of the Carrington Building at the following times:Friday 11 July 2008 10am - 8pm and Saturday 12 July 2008 10am - 2pm. University consultants will be in attendance throughout

The content of the public exhibition will also available on line from 11 July

at http://www.reading.ac.uk/about/about-local.asp. The deadline for responses

is 5.00 pm on Thursday 24 July. The University is planning to submit a

planning application for phase one of the halls redevelopment in the autumn.

ENDS

Further information from Alex Brannen, Senior Press Officer, on 0118 378 7388

Notes to editors:

Location image - The blue marked areas show the new development on the sites of Whiteknights and Childs Halls, either side of Windsor Hall, which is not part of the redevelopment. The proposed location of the new social and catering hub mentioned above, is in the vicinity of Windsor Hall

Whiteknights Development Plan background

The University's consultation, which included a six week exhibition on the

Whiteknights' campus, sought the views of the local community, staff, students and a range of stakeholders, on the £250m Whiteknights' Campus Development Plan 2008-2018. Comments were solicited on 13 key themes, ranging from the location of proposed new buildings to vehicle access around the campus.

The final Whiteknights' Development Plan along with a Statement of Community Involvement, to guide the preparation and determination of planning applications as they develop, will be submitted to the two local authorities later this summer. The interim consultation report is available at

www.reading.ac.uk/about/about-local.asp.