A controversial new Greggs can be built near a busy junction in Reading despite objections from neighbours and the council.
Cube Real Estate submitted plans to build a drive-thru bakery at the entrance to the Stadium Way Industrial Estate at Scours Lane, Tilehurst. The site is located west of the busy Norcot junction, on a patch of grassland that serves as a buffer between the industrial estate and Oxford Road.
The project has proved controversial, with Barry Elford who runs Barry’s Burger Bar, raising fears that it would put him out of business in favour of the huge bakery chain.
He argued that it would be “heart-wrenching” if the Greggs drive-thru were to go ahead.
Meanwhile, councillors Mark Keeping and Glenn Dennis (both Labour, Kentwood) objected to the plan as it would lead to a loss of green space and increase in traffic at the already busy Norcot junction.
The project was rejected by the council’s planning applications committee in September 2022 for those reasons. However, the drive-thru can now go ahead after Cube Real Estate successfully appealed to the government’s inspectorate.
The appeal defeat for the council was discussed at its latest planning meeting.
Committee chair Cllr Jo Lovelock said: “Can I say just how disappointed I think we all are about the Scours Lane application, that we lost that appeal.
“I can imagine that the inspector did not understand the nature of that green space in what is a fairly congested and busy area.
“I know that Cllr Keeping will be very disappointed that the inspector has not taken the wider view here.”
“But unfortunately, it is what it is. We’ll no doubt have quite a difficult time when that is constructed on such a busy network of roads, but there we are.”
The appeal was discussed at the meeting on Wednesday, April 24.
Ultimately, planning inspector N Robinson judged that the project would not fragment the ‘green link’ that the grassed area currently provides.
Furthermore, inspector Robinson ruled that the project will result in biodiversity benefits, as Cube Real Estate will replace two trees that will be cut down with 38 to be planted on site, some of which will form a circle around the drive-thru building.
A further 81 trees will be planted outside the site boundary.
The facility will come with 22 car parking spaces, including three disabled bays and five electric vehicle charging points.
You can view the approved project by typing reference 220637 into the council’s planning portal.
The news comes amid several changes to the presence of Greggs in Reading.
While Greggs stores in West Street and the Wellington Arms in Whitley Street have both closed in the last year, a drive-thru is planned to replace the George & Dragon pub in Bath Road.
The controversial drive-thru at the George & Dragon was approved last December.
