A normally dull car park in Reading will be transformed into a winter wonderland once again as a popular Christmas event will be returning to town in 2022.
Reading Winter Wonderland will be returning to the Hills Meadow Car Park in Caversham this year.
In preparation for the event, its organising company has submitted a licensing application to Reading Borough Council.
The organisers have applied to sell alcohol in the event area and play music outdoors from 11am to 10pm all week while the event runs.
Winter Wonderland moved to Hills Meadow for the first time last year, prompting concerns about the ‘significant amount of noise’ coming from the site and littering generated by guests.
READ MORE: Questions over whether Reading Winter Wonderland will go ahead
The concerns were discussed at a licensing committee meeting, with the event being given the go ahead.
Addressing the concerns that were raised last year, Billy Williams, who owns Premier Winter Wonderland Events, said: “We took everything on board.
“Last year we did sound checks every day, in between five and eight locations, five times a day.
“We weren’t asked to do that, we did that off our own backs.
“There were no reports of noise or light pollution, no legitimate ones anyway.”
Will there be anything new to look forward to?
Mr Williams replied: “It’s going to be very similar, but we have got a different bar which is being brought from Germany and is on its way now.
“That will bring more and make Winter Wonderland more of a destination.
“We’ve really gone up market with it.”
He added that different food and beer will be available this year as well.
Images of the German bar show it being made of wood in traditional style, similar to the bars used for Hyde Park Winter Wonderland in London.
The event in Reading will run from Saturday, November 12 to Monday, January 2, 2023.
It will run every day between those dates except Christmas Day (Sunday, December 25) when it will be closed.
In previous years, Winter Wonderland took place at Forbury Gardens.
There was no event in 2020 due to the coronavirus pandemic, with organisers not choosing to use Forbury Gardens in 2021 out of respect for the three victims of the Reading terror attack, who were killed in the park by Libyan asylum seeker Khairi Saadallah.
READ MORE: Reading Winter Wonderland 2022 announces grand opening
An application for the drinks sales and music has been submitted to the council’s licensing department.
Anyone who wants to comment on the application can do so by emailing licensing@reading.gov.uk .
The deadline for representations is Thursday, September 1.
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