The most important planning applications decided in Reading this week

New Japanese restaurant to replace Cafe Rouge in the Oracle

Good news for sushi lovers! A Japanese restaurant will replace Cafe Rouge in the Oracle. The restaurant has been left empty since June. Osaka received permission to put up a new sign outside the restaurant.

It’s unclear when the restaurant will open, but planning documents say they want to hire five full-time and 14 part-time staff.  The restaurant only has a Facebook page currently, but with very little information on it. 

New church and community centre in Tilehurst 

A new church could be coming to Tilehurst, after planning officers granted permission for a church and community centre on the Meadway. 

Trustees of the Gate, Reading, want to demolish the current church building, which architects call ‘inadequate and poor quality’. The new church will include a cafe, meeting and teaching spaces and an art studio. 

READ MORE: Parish concerns over plans to build new office building next to Grade I listed church

Offices to turn into 15 flats

An office building, on 1-2 Wesley Gate, Queens Road, could be turned into 15 flats. But the environmental health team at Reading Borough Council say there are concerned about how much noise there will be surrounding. 

A letter from Rebecca Moon, an environmental health officer, to the developers, said there is likely to be ‘high levels of road noise from the IDR’, and also noise from nearby businesses. She also raised concerns about air quality and the impact on future residents of the flats. 

READ MORE: Taxis in West Berks will soon have to stop idling

Cut back four trees at Kendrick Girls School 

Four trees at Kendrick Girls School, on London Road, can now be cut back after planners gave permission. 

The trees won’t be cut down completely, but just pruned. They are a London plane, a lime tree, a horse chestnut, and a pin oak. 

Grade-II listed building will have windows replaced

A Grade-II listed building, Watlington House on Watlington Street, will have five windows replaced. They will be exact copies of the current windows, and will have no change to colour. The building dates back to 1500 and is open to charities and community groups. 

Rachel Fletcher, from Historic England, said: “The proposals for window repairs and replacements have clearly been carefully considered and the result is a thoughtful and sensitive approach that would conserve this special building.”