A project to transform a building in the heart of the Reading town centre from storage space into hotel rooms has been given the go-ahead.
The building in Friar Street is currently occupied by the ‘Friar Street Convenience Store’ at ground level. It is three storeys tall, with the first and second floors currently being used as storage space for the store.
Now the property owner has won permission to transform the building into a serviced apartment-style hotel.
While the ground floor would be retained for retail, the upper floors and an additional upward extension would be turned into hotel rooms.
Specifically, the development will create 14 ensuite hotel rooms, of which one will be accessible for a disabled guest using a lift. The disabled room is provided on the first floor, along with a lounge and concierge office.
The project will involve the demolition of parts of the existing building to create a courtyard to the rear, providing a small garden for guests.
Justifying the development, a planning agent from Nexus Planning said: “The proposed development is a carefully designed, modern response to the existing building and character of the wider area.
“It combines both the retention of local character and innovation to provide a building that is fitting of this key location in Reading.”
The terms of the approval of the project by Reading Borough Council are mysterious.
While the planning application is listed as being approved subject to a legal agreement, it is not clear when it was granted and who made the decision.
That’s because a planning officer report and a decision notice cannot be found on the council’s planning website.
The website does state that the application ‘expiry date’ was reached on March 15, implying a decision was made close to that date.
However, no documents indicating the decision and conditions the developer must comply with have appeared on the planning website.
The developer, Arun Serviced Apartments, must enter into a Section 106 legal agreement laying out financial contributions to the council before the project can begin.
The existing building is situated immediately next to an approved project to demolish Revolucion de Cuba and the former EyeSite opticians and replace them with a 163-bed Leonardo Hotel.
The separate project by Thackeray Estates was approved in 2022, and will incorporate the closed Bugle pub into the new hotel building.
Acknowledging the neighbouring development, the planning agent argued that the council has accepted the redevelopment and increase in height of buildings in Friar Street.
You can view the documents that are available by typing reference PL/23/1266 into the planning portal.
