The Royal Elm Park plan to develop a 15ha parcel of land used for car parking and training includes plans to build 630 homes in a dozen blocks, a large multi-storey car park, large public square and park.

A planning application will be submitted before the end of the year with a view to starting construction next year.

Peter Brett Associates is acting as development consultant, with Arup providing technical services and Malasian architect NRY Architects working on the design of the convention centre.

Existing site used as a car park and training area

A dozen housing blocks will provide 630 homes

New public square at the heart of the Royal Elm Park development

Royals chief executive Nigel Howe said: “This is an exciting proposal for both for Reading Football Club and the town itself.

“When we built Madejski Stadium in 1998, to give the club a sustainable level of income we built a small conference centre and then a hotel.

“Both have proved amazingly successful and we saw an opportunity for a new convention centre in the south of England situated adjacent to the stadium.

“With the support we need from local government, we have grasped the opportunity to put forward a proposal – with the aim of getting the local community more and more involved in Reading Football Club and the Madejski Stadium complex, whilst simultaneously helping the club to become more financially sustainable in the future. ”