Reading Winter Wonderland is back for 2024 as site plans have been given go ahead.
The event moved from Forbury Gardens to Hills Meadow car park in Caversham in 2021, and will continue at the site this year.
Elsewhere, a council house that has been boarded up for years will receive upgrade works.
These were discussed at a Reading Borough Council planning applications committee meeting on Wednesday, October 2.
Winter Wonderland approved (240898/FUL)
Winter Wonderland will be back at Hills Meadow this Christmas season.
Each year, the organisers require temporary planning permission to occupy the site, which is owned by the council.
Development manager Julie Williams insisted that the site cannot be converted into Winter Wonderland before October 12 and cannot be extended past January 19, 2025.
Councillor Richard Davies (Labour, Thames) joked that Julie was 'not going to be putting her Christmas decorations up early' quipping that she is a 'militant it's not Christmas yet' person.
Addressing the event itself, cllr Davies said: "It's provided a lot of pleasure for a lot of people locally, both sides of the river.
"Last year there was some additional noise mitigation brought in. Prior to that, we had some neighbours talking about who lived nearby.
"But last year I don't think I got anyone complaining about that, so it's only a positive addition to that area for Christmas."
Temporary permission was unanimously approved.
Adjustments to council house given go ahead (24/1025/FUL)
Adjustments to a council house will make it a family home with disabled access.
The project will see a two-storey extension and a single-storey extension added, as well as a new level patio area, access ramps and off-street parking. Additionally, it will be heated using an air source heat pump, and solar panels will be added to the roof.
The address, 99 Hartland Road, has been vacant for more than two years.
Cllr Andre Hornsby-Smith (Labour, Church) said: “Ever since I’ve been elected a couple of years ago, this property has been boarded and empty.
“We desperately need this housing stock brought back into use.”
The project was unanimously approved.
Shop conversion into takeaway could go ahead (221769)
The conversion of a shop into a takeaway in Coley could still go ahead despite the council refusing the plan.
The owner of the shop in Berkeley Avenue, which is situated next to the Costcutter, had applied to convert a ground-floor shop into a takeaway, including the addition of an extraction chimney.
However, the project was refused by James Crosbie, the council's assistant director for planning, who judged that it would result in disturbance to neighbours and harm due to increased activity on the site.
But the plan could still go ahead as the applicant lodged an appeal to the government's planning inspectorate.
Notification of the appeal was made in a report to the planning applications committee.
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