The most important planning applications decided in Reading this week

Former bank will become café and four apartments

The former Co-Operative bank opposite St Mary’s Church in the town centre is set for a refit.

It will become a café on the ground floor and four short-term let serviced apartments on the first and second floor.

Developer Ssassy Ltd say the development at 34 St Mary’s Butts will convert “an unattractive building to support tourism and provide accommodation for visitors”.

24/7 petrol station refused

An application to extend opening hours at a petrol station and convenience store to 24/7 use has been refused by the council.

The BP Leander petrol station, on 182-184 Henley Road, currently opens from 6am to 11pm, Monday – Saturday, and 7am to 10pm on Sundays.

The Caversham and District Residents’ Association, said: “While welcoming the proposals to reduce disturbance, CADRA believes these will be insufficient to prevent disturbance in the local area and objects to this application.”

New workshop building for garage and car dealership

Marshalls Garage, on Oxford Road, will get a new workshop building after the council approved plans to demolish the current one.

The existing building, which is next to the car dealership, is not considered to have any significant merit in terms of design, architecture or historic value and so there was no objection to its demolition.

The developer owner has three years to begin the work to demolish and replace the building.

One-bed flat conversion plan recommended for refusal

Planning officers have recommended the transformation of a basement storage space into a one-bed flat be refused by the council.

An identical application was previously refused and subsequently dismissed on appeal because of a lack of information about living conditions and outdoor amenity.

The latest application is recommended for refusal. A decision will be made by the council’s Planning Applications committee at a future date.

Planning officer Nathalie Weekes said of the latest application: “The quality of accommodation would be sub-standard for future occupiers, causing a significant detrimental impact to the living environment of future occupiers.

“Shortfalls in the quality of accommodation are such that these deficiencies are considered to outweigh any planning benefits of the proposals.

“The proposed basement flat would suffer from poor natural light levels with little or no direct sunlight penetration and poor ambient daylighting.”

Repair works at Harris Arcade

The Harris Arcade features several independent shops like a Beer and cheese shop, tobacconist, a vinyl shop, vintage clothes, and tattoo parlour.

The grade-II listed arcade runs in an L shape off Station Road and Friar Street. The repairs include work on chimneys, walls, and on the roof. It was originally built in 1930.