Rejuvenated Reading retail park set for more changes

The Brunel Retail Park in Rose Kiln Lane, Whitley, has had a patchy recent history with shops such as Laura Ashley, Brantano Footwear, Shoezone, and Go Outdoors all closing down in recent years.

But the shopping site has had something of a renaissance since Home Bargains opened and B&M moved into larger premises earlier this year.

Now, the retail park is due for even more changes, which could involve a self-storage company or home retailer The Range moving there as well.

Both potential new occupants would be taking over empty units in the eastern portion of the park occupied by Brantano Footwear, B&M, Laura Ashley, Subway and Costa Coffee, all of which have closed.

Food outlets Subway and Costa Coffee have closed at Brunel Retail Park in recent years, with B&M relocating at the end of August. Credit: Google Maps

Recently, approval was granted for a plan to merge the empty units so that they can become a self-storage facility.

The storage facility will have HGV parking to the rear access from Gilette Way to facilitate deliveries and those using storage for home removals.

The placement of the HGV access to the rear of the site was welcomed when the plan was discussed at a recent council meeting.

Micky Leng (Labour, Whitley) said: “I’m pleased that the HGV traffic sent to the back, as it should be, and that we’re limiting the vehicles in the car parking area to three and a half tonnes.”

He said that there had been ‘history’ with HGVs cutting through nearby Kennet Island.

Councillor Leng said: “There will be a lot of pedestrians with shopping trolleys, so we don’t really want big HGVs swinging around.”

The scheme was recommended for approval by planning officer Alison Amoah, who argued that the project brings vacant units back into use and enhances the area with six new trees.

The merger of the units was unanimously approved at a Reading Borough Council planning applications committee meeting on Wednesday, December 6.

You can view the application by typing reference 230953 into the council’s planning portal.

If brought forward, car parking spaces at the retail park will be reduced from 396 to 372, with 13 of these being reserved for the approved storage facility.

Alternatively, plans for The Range at the park involve merging units 6b, 7,8 and 9 to create a larger trading space. Notably, it excludes the units previously occupied by Costa Coffee and Subway.

The site plan for the Brunel Retail Park in Whitley, with this redevelopment option seeing The Range occupy the eastern portion of the site. Credit: Mountford Piggott

However, that proposal, planning reference 231142, has not been decided yet, with judgment reserved for the council’s planning department.

MCTGF, which owns the retail park, has submitted a number of plans for the site over recent years among which it won approval to demolish all buildings and replace them with two warehouses reserved for general industry and distribution.

It also won approval for a hybrid development which would have kept the west side of the site occupied by B&M, Home Bargains, Pets @ Home and Halfords but demolished the empty units to the east so that they could be replaced with a warehouse.

However, it is understood both of these plans have been shelved in favour of the more recent proposals for a self-storage facility or an enlarged store for The Range to move into.