Changes have been made to a transformational project at a prominent corner site in Reading town centre.
Revisions have been made to the Queen Victoria Street 1+ project, which incorporates a row of shops along Friar Street as well.
Changes involve the removal of a green wall, the installation of a retail kiosk and other project elements.
The adjustments made to the development in the town centre are just some of the planning decisions Reading Borough Council has made recently.
Elsewhere, new digital screens have/can be installed at the University of Reading, and improvements can be made at a hub for special needs at a primary school.
You can view each decided application by typing the reference in brackets into the council’s planning portal.
Changes to apartment hotel and courtyard development (PL/25/1106 and PL/25/1114)
Adjustments have been made to the project to create new shops, a 107-bed apartment hotel and a courtyard destination at the corner of Queen Victoria Street and Friar Street.
The scheme, which is being undertaken by Thackeray Estates, was originally approved by councillors in December 2022, but a series of revisions have been made since then.
The latest changes involve the removal of a green wall that would have been created in the courtyard, and the installation of a retail kiosk, which will be associated with the use of the apartment hotel.
The council’s planning department approved most of these changes on January 14.
Digital screens to be installed at university (PL/25/1580)
The University of Reading has won permission to install three digital screens at its Whiteknights Campus.
Assessing the proposal, planning officer Catrin Davies wrote: “The proposed signs, at 1.8m in height, are relatively large in size and will naturally be prominent features.
“However, their positions spread through the campus means that they will not appear cluttered.”
She added that there are no significant harmful design impacts or proliferation of adverts that will harm the visual amenity of students and staff.
Improvements at school special needs hub (PL/25/1671)
Pupils at a special needs hub at New Christ Church Primary School in Katesgrove are set to benefit from new toilets and a fence.
The Nest is the school’s on-site Nurture Hub, which offers therapeutic and targeted support for students with more complex needs.
The hub is in a dedicated block next to the main school.
The school has won approval to install two toilets, an accessible toilet and new fencing at The Nest.
Conversion of house into three flats refused (PL/25/1116)
The owner of a terraced house near the town centre has had their plan to convert a house into three flats rejected.
The house in Mason Street currently contains two flats, with the owner proposing to add a rear extension and internal alterations to create a two-bed and two one-bed flats.
A planning agent argued that the proposed works were necessary to ensure the delivery of safe, functional, and high-quality accommodation.
However, the plan was refused as it could be turned into a family home instead, among other reasons.
