Land and property

Contact assets management if you are interested in renting Council-owned land or business property.

Current vacancies

Acre Business Park

Acre Business Park is a small industrial estate comprising 41 light industrial or office units located to the south of Reading (RG2 0SA).

Units are basic but have hot and cold water supply to a sink, a telephone point and electric supply, some with 3-phase, to a distribution board. A meter is provided for each unit and is the responsibility of the occupier.

Business rates, utility bills and telecoms charges are also payable by the tenant.

Parking is by allocated space (usually one per unit).

Any usage will be considered, except for food production, vehicle maintenance or direct retail sales. Trading must not cause a nuisance to other occupiers or residential properties in the surrounding area.

For current availability please contact acre.bp@reading.gov.uk

Clayfield Copse

NOTICE PURSUANT TO SECTION 123(2A) OF THE LOCAL GOVERNMENT ACT 1972 (AS AMENDED)

NOTICE is hereby given in accordance with section 123(2A) of the Local Government Act 1972 (as amended) that Reading Borough Council intends to dispose, by way of a lease, an area of 11.52 acres of open space land, located at Clayfield Copse, Caversham Park Road, Reading, RG4 6AA, to Caversham AFC. The land forms part of Clayfield Copse and will be used for football pitches with Public access and recreational use of the land retained.

A plan identifying the said open space land, shown edged blue thereon, can be inspected below:

Clayfield Copse notice plan

Any objections to the proposed disposal must be made in writing and addressed to the Assets Management Section, Reading Borough Council, Civic Offices, Bridge Street, Reading RG1 2LU email: assets.management@ reading.gov.uk (quoting reference “Clayfield Copse”) and received no later than 12 noon on 19th September 2025. If anyone requires further information, please email assets.management@reading.gov.uk. The Council will consider any objections received in writing at its next available Policy Committee.

Dated: 21 August 2025

M. Graham, Assistant Director, Legal and Democratic Services, Reading Borough Council, Civic Offices, Reading RG1 2LU

More information on the proposal to improve sports facilities at Clayfield Copse

Address

Caversham Park Road, Caversham, Reading RG4 6RT

What happens on the sports field area now?

For the last two decades or so Clayfield Copse Pavilion and Sports Field has been the home of Caversham AFC, Reading’s largest junior football club with 835 registered players and over 1,000 members in total.

In previous years the Council has leased the Pavilion to the Club and have had a basic maintenance agreement for the sports pitches guaranteeing the use for matches and training, with some limitations on how frequently they could be used to prevent them becoming worn out. This could be seen through sunken and muddy goal mouths and little grass cover over much of the rest of the pitch.

What are the changes that are being proposed?

In terms of what will be seen when visiting the park for recreation, very little change will be evident. People will still be able to use the sports turf (pitch) area as they do now. When matches and training is going on, the football club will still have use of these pitches, park users will still be able to walk between the games/pitches. The maintenance regime of the grass will also be improved providing a better surface for both football and general recreation.

The biggest change will be the removal of the two old storage containers replaced with new storage and possibly a catering counter adjacent to the pavilion – designed to be in keeping with the existing building. The catering kiosk is planned to be available during matches, and possibly training, serving the players, spectators and park users.

The pavilion, which is currently dilapidated, will be refurbished and made suitable for use by both male and female players, and visitors. It will also cater for people with disabilities, other sports and activities for the local community. With work expected to include roof repairs, insulation, windows and decoration, all with the intention to improve the pavilion, complementing the surroundings and be more energy efficient. The refurbished pavilion will also be made available for other community uses by the Club.

This is not a proposal to introduce floodlighting or astroturf.

What work is proposed to the pitches.

The frequency of grass cutting will increase from circa 11 cuts per year to around 20 depending on weather conditions. Other operations will also be undertaken more regularly such as treatment of the turf with fertilizer and seeding along with better close season renovation such as dressing and filling goal mouths with appropriate soil. This work will be undertaken by a combination of Council, Club and subcontractors.

How is this being funded?

The Football Foundation have a fund called the Home Advantage Programme that will provide about £250,000 towards the improvement of the pavilion facilities and sports turf, which is to be kept as grass.

Who receives the funding?

The Football Foundation will release funds to clubs affiliated to the Football Association in this instance Caversham AFC.

Caversham AFC will then manage the improvement works to the area following agreement with the Council. This funding is not available to Local Authorities.

Why make a change to current arrangements?

Neither the Council nor Caversham AFC have the funds needed for the improvements needed for the entire community, currently the pavilion is only suitable for storage.

Services such as heating and showers do not work and are beyond repair. With regard to the pitches, the very high clay content and increasingly variable weather,  mean about 15% of matches and training are postponed/cancelled. This impacts our many children and adults wishing to participate in sport, physical exercise and social activity, missing the associated health and well-being benefits

Why is the field to be included in the lease this time, when it was not in the past?

The Football Foundation (who will be funding improvements), like most other funding bodies, require guarantees that the facilities they invest in will continue to be available for use as promised into the future. For this reason, the Football Foundation demand the club has a long lease for both the pitches and pavilion and that this can be assigned to another club should Caversham AFC no longer provide the agreed community and football opportunities to the local community. Within the lease the Council will identify that general recreation must continue on the sports field, mirroring current arrangements.

Will the sports pitches be fenced in to prevent access to non-footballers?

No, it is not the intention of either the club, the Football Foundation nor the Council to restrict public access. There is no proposal to fence the sports field. Use for both football and as a park will continue, along with the provision and increased use of improved community facilities is the objective of all parties.

What if I wish to organise an event at Clayfield Copse?

Community events and activities will continue to be able to be hosted on site as currently. The booking of the sports turf for events and organised activities will move to Caversham AFC as they take over the maintenance/management of the pitches. This will allow them to co-ordinate maintenance works to the pitches and make sure they are not damaged through overuse of any particular area, especially after seeding or similar works. It is very much the aim of the club to encourage more community use of all facilities as improvements are made.

Area that is proposed to be leased

The plan of Clayfield Copse below shows the land edged blue that contains the sports turf in which improved grounds maintenance will be undertaken and public access will continue. The Pavilion which is edged red is proposed to be refurbished by the Club.