Showdown looms over new pizzeria set to open in Reading

Recently, a company called Vesuvio Pizzeria Ltd applied to sell alcohol and pizza till late at the closed Coral betting shop at 20 Norcot Road in Tilehurst.

If approved, a licence would allow it to sell food and drink indoors and outdoors until 2am each night, and sell alcohol from 11am to 11.30pm every day.

But neighbours have objected to the company’s plans citing concerns about increased traffic, alcohol related disorder and disturbance.

Jenny Trist, a neighbour, raised concerns that it could become ‘a drugs drop off point.

She said: “I live on Norcot Road and I see today teenagers on electric bikes and scooters delivering drugs and it will just become another drug drop and collection point especially at 2am in the morning.”

She added that she would not object to pizzeria serving food until 11pm.

Her objection continues: “This license should be line with the pub opening times on Norcot Road and no later as I believe it will take up serious amounts of police time as there is a lot of anti social behaviour in Tilehurst due to little Police presence.”

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Fellow neighbour Fiona Conroy raised similar concerns.

She said: “The risk of possible damage, violence, anti-social behaviour is increased by introducing a considerable number of people, late at night and having been in an environment where alcohol is involved, is not an acceptable risk for existing residents.

“Generally any activity involving increased numbers of people, vehicles, and alcohol after 11:30pm is not appropriate for a residential area and it increases the possibility of becoming a public nuisance, safe guarding issue’s and significantly raises the risk of criminal and disorderly behaviour.

“I have lived in the immediate area 15+ years and strongly believe the application will have a detrimental impact on local resident’s human rights.”

Meanwhile, David Brett, a senior planning officer for Reading Borough Council, has raised concerns over the legal status of the former Coral shop.

The council gave consent for its conversion from a betting shop into offices under application reference 200766.

Mr Brett stated that if the conversion has been implemented, there would be no need for a change of use planning application.

However, if it has not been implemented, the company would need to submit such an application.

The possible home of Vesuvio Pizzeria at 20 Norcot Road, Tilehurst.

Furthermore, he raised concerns about intensified traffic and its impact on neighbours.

Another Tilehurst resident Claire Foxon, who’s lived in the area for 14 years, said does not object to the conversion of the betting shop or it becoming a pizzeria.

But she said:  “However I do object to the proposed opening hours till 2am on the basis of noise disturbance given that this is a heavily populated residential area, which is normally quiet at night time.

“If a licence were to be granted, please consider the feelings of the local residents when making the decision around restrictions to the licence.”

The objections were submitted after the Local Democracy Reporting Service wrote about the application in January.

A decision on the application is set to be made at a Reading Borough Council licensing meeting at 9.30am on Thursday, March 2.