PLANS to turn the site of our predecessor, the Reading Evening Post, into an entertainment venue is moving forward.
Affectionately known as Tessa Towers by staff at the newspaper that closed in 2014, the building opposite Rivermead Leisure Centre used to print and distribute a variety of publications, as well as housing journalists, accountants, and production staff.
Last November, The Curate Group won permission to transform the site into The Printworks, a food and entertainment venue that it is hoped will rival others across the country.
Once open, food and drink stalls will be next to an events space for live music performances, DJs, live bands, and sporting events.
It will be available for private hire for TV filming and brand and product launches.
The Curate Group hopes to open in September and has applied to Reading Borough Council for permission to hold regulated entertainment and sell alcohol from noon to 11pm daily, with an aim of staying open until 1am.
Toby Mullins, the CEO of the Curate Group, explained: “It’s merely an admin process. Planning precedes licensing in terms of the property.
“We secured a licence in 2021, we went back to the council, and they have said our previous planning permissions and licences are no longer extant. The original licence is three years old, so I’ve submitted a new application.
“It’s a process to go through, we’ve also submitted another planning application last week to align with one or two conditions we would like to add.”
Mr Mullins clarified that the application would give the Curate Group ‘flexibility’ to open and play music until 1am if required.
The current licensing application for alcohol sales and entertainment from noon to 11pm each day is open to public consultation.
The deadline for submissions, which are publicly accessible, is Wednesday, February 28, and comments can be emailed to: licensing@reading.gov.uk.
The Curate Group recently won permission to increase the capacity of its Stories in the Park dance music festival in Palmer Park from 4,999 to 9,999 people this month.
The company is hosting four events in Palmer Park over a long weekend from June 13-16.
There will be a students’ boxing match on Thursday, an Ibiza classics orchestra performance on Friday, Stories in the Park that Saturday and a triple-bill boy bands concert on Sunday.
