A FORMER bank in Reading town centre could become a convenience store if a licence is granted.
The Abbey Corner building at the junction of Duke Street and Kings Road once housed a branch of department store Jacksons, before becoming a branch of the Abbey National which gave it its name.
It has since housed a branch of Weight Watchers between 2012 and 2015, and was a Personal Independence Payment (PIP) consultation centre before it closed in 2017. It has been empty since.
Now the ground floor is to be divided into three separate units, with one earmarked as a convenience store.
Bill Donne, a licensing consultant, said he has been appointed as licensing representative for the future occupant of the store, with businessman Gulinder Singh Chopra applying to sell alcohol from from 7am to 11am daily.
Last year, Mr Chopra took over Today’s Express store also in Duke Street, with restrictions in place that meant he had to sell cans of alcohol in multipacks, and no drinks over 6.5% ABV. These restrictions were lifted earlier this year.
Mr Chopra said occupying a new convenience store at Abbey Corner would give him a fresh start, and would run alongside Todays Express.
“If I have another business on that corner, I will get business in from that side of the town,” he said. “Because here, this business had a bad history, I want to start something fresh with no history and I can then build the business better.”
He also wants to attract customers by opening earlier at the new store.
Today’s Express opens at 8am, the new convenience store would open at 7am.
Mr Chopra explained: “I want to provide services to school students and office workers who come in early, at 7am. I can’t currently serve them at this shop.”
A statutory consultation is being held into the application, which you can take part in by emailing licensing@reading.gov.uk, with the deadline for responses set for Tuesday, June 25.
