Plan to replace Cosmo Reading with 103 flats changed

A huge plan to demolish 35-39 Friar Street, which contains the Cosmo global buffet and the closed 9 Round kickboxing gym was submitted last Autumn.

Now, changes have been made to the plans which have been submitted by developers The Shaviram Group.

Adaptations include adding 67sqm to the new proposed restaurant unit on the ground floor, bringing the unit’s total size to 1,520sqm.

The Cosmo global buffet would have to close for the development to take place, however, it is understood that they will be the occupants of the new restaurant once construction is completed.

READ MORE: REVIEW: We tried out Cosmo buffet in Reading and it needs to stay

Extensive revisions have been made to the plans for the basement, ground and first floor of the building as well.

The proposed co-working space on the ground and the first floor has been revised to provide secure independent access from the street, with a new lift and accessible toilet.

A CGI of what the replacement building at 35-39 Friar Street, Reading could look like. Credit: Stefan Shaw Studio

Meanwhile, the original plan has been adjusted to bring cycle storage to the ground floor, relocate blue badge parking to a more easily accessible location and to re-locating the service area and bin stores toward the rear of the building.

The ground floor would contain the replacement restaurant, a new 180sqm retail unit, co-working space and access for future occupants.

The restaurant would come with 14 cycle bays, one more than the earlier iteration of the plan contained, with the smaller retail unit getting six bays, four more than originally envisaged.

A revised ground floor plan for the building housing Cosmo at 35-39 Friar Street, Reading town centre. Credit: Stefan Shaw Studio

There will be no changes to the number of flats provided, which remains at 103.

The new build would consist of 41 one-bed, 56 two-bed and six three-bed apartments.

Of those 30 per cent (30 flats) would be designated affordable, five per cent (five flats) would be wheelchair adaptable.

Other changes include reducing the number of wheelchair-accessible parking bays from four to three and increasing the cycling bays by 12 to a total of 105.

The Cosmo global buffet restaurant in Friar Street, Reading. Credit: James Aldridge, Local Democracy Reporter

You can view the application by typing reference 220933 into the council’s planning portal.

The plan to replace the existing building first emerged in February last year, when developers The Shaviram Group unveiled its scheme in a pre-application consultation.

Plans were then officially submitted last September.

Notably, this would be a car-free development save for three dedicated disabled parking spaces for future occupants within the basement, and three standard parking bays within a courtyard to the north of the

site.