Carey Jones Chapman Tolcher working on £80m proposals on site of former distribution centre
John Lewis Partnership has submitted plans to demolish one of its former delivery depots in Reading and replace it with 215 flats.
Designed by London practice Carey Jones Chapman Tolcher, the £80m scheme confirms the retailer’s ambition to become a major landlord.
There had been speculation that the partnership, which includes Waitrose, would abandon its housebuilding plans following the departure of its chairman Dame Sharon White in February.
The firm said the proposals reinforce its goal of creating a rental housing brand in a bid to “ease housing pressures and generate long-term stable income to support investment back into our Waitrose and John Lewis brands”.
The development, located opposite the Oracle shopping centre in central Reading, would include a mix of one, two and three-bedroom homes and 6,000 sq ft of amenity space if approved by the council.
John Lewis Partnership built-to-rent director Katherine Russell said the scheme would “benefit residents and the wider community by transforming a disused industrial site into a thriving rental community”.
Construction is expected to start in early 2026 and complete by 2028.
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