New end-of-terrace dwelling: 10 Holmes Road, Reading

Completing a terrace

10 Holmes Road in east Reading sits at the end of a terrace with space alongside. The proposal was a two storey side extension that forms a new end of terrace house, an efficient way to add a home in an established street without changing its character.

Continuing the rhythm

The design continues the rhythm of the existing terrace: the same eaves and ridge line, matching brick, window proportions aligned with the neighbouring houses and a front door position that follows the pattern of the street. The proposed streetscene elevation shows the new house in context so it can be seen that it completes rather than interrupts the terrace.

Access and front garden

The scheme included an amended access and a new front garden with boundary treatment, so both the new house and the existing one have a defined frontage. The site plan sets out parking, bin storage and the division of the rear garden.

Drawings submitted

We prepared the streetscene drawing, site plan, floor plans and elevations. In Reading, new homes created by extending terraces are assessed against the Local Plan's design and amenity policies and the space standards for new dwellings, and the drawings were prepared to demonstrate compliance with each.

Space standards and amenity

Every new home must meet the nationally described space standards, and Reading also expects adequate private garden space. The floor plans show room sizes for the new house, and the site plan divides the rear garden so both the new and existing homes keep a usable garden. Bin storage and parking are shown on the site plan.

Why end of terrace plots work

Where a terrace ends with a wide side garden, a new house that continues the terrace is often the most acceptable way to add a home, because it completes an existing pattern rather than creating a new one. The key is matching the details exactly: brick, window heads and sills, roof pitch and chimney positions.

Next steps

Projects like this also need building regulations drawings, party wall agreements and, for a new dwelling, registration of the new address. We can coordinate the drawing work for each stage so the approved design carries through to construction.

Reading's design policy

Reading's policy CC7 asks that new development responds to the character of the area. On a terrace that means continuity, which is why the drawings repeat the existing details so closely.