New drive-thru café for Reading retail park in plans lodged

The drive-thru café will be built at a convenient location for drivers, with the developers of the submitting more detailed plans this week.

Also, a plan by a mobile network company to build a 5G mast in Caversham has resurfaced.

And the University of Reading has applied to convert one of its buildings into a lab for commercial use.

You can view each applications by typing the reference in brackets into the council’s planning portal.

New drive-thru café (221712 and 221721)

Sorbon Estates, the owners of Reading Link Retail Park, has provided details for its plan for a drive thru café on current car parking spaces next to Matalan.

The company won outline approval to build the café in August.

Now, Sorbon Estates has submitted details to the council.

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Application 221712 relates to details of a height barrier, ‘dragons teeth’ and a path leading to the building, with application 221721 defining how it will be built to Building Research Establishment (BREEAM) standards.

It is currently unclear which brand will take the café over.

Previous plans for a drive-thru here were refused in 2019 and an appeal dismissed in 2020.

Unpopular 5G mast plan resurfaces (221729)

The proposed site for a 15 metre 5G mast west of Glendale House in Kidmore Road, Caversham. Credit: Great British Communications

An application for a 5G mast that a neighbour compared to being ‘like something from War of the Worlds’ has effectively resurfaced.

CK Hutchison, the owner of the Three mobile network, has submitted an application to build a 5G mast and ancillary cabinets outside Glendale House at the junction of Kidmore Road and Charlotte Close in Caversham.

The proposed mast appears to be in an identical location to the one that was refused by the council in August.

The street pole would be 15 metres tall, the same size as the one that was rejected, application reference 220915.

Change to Reading university building (Wokingham app 223311)

The Knight Building, University of Reading Whiteknights Campus. Credit: Google Maps

The University of Reading has applied to improve laboratory space in one of its buildings.

The Knight Building was previously used by the School of Biological Sciences for classrooms relating to the study of microbiology.

Now, the university has applied to change its use and conduct works to refurbish it for its next use.

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A spokesperson for the university said the the School of Biological Sciences has since been moved to the £60 million Life and Sciences building nearby.

The Knight Building falls under Earley; you can view the application by typing the reference above into Wokingham Borough Council’s planning portal.

Reconfiguration of Caversham home (221692)

The outside of 96 Chiltern Road in Caversham. Credit: Resi

Vincent Onuchi, the owner of 96 Chiltern Road in Caversham, has applied to reconfigure the home to make better use of space.

The plan involves a floorplan redesign, changes to the first floor and the facade of the rear of the home.

These changes would provide an enlarged kitchen and shower toilet on the ground floor, and a new double-bedroom on the first floor.