A new escape room is coming to Reading town centre as preparation works have been given the go-ahead.
Work had started on changes to the exterior of the former Parkers estate agents in Market Place into an escape room.
However, Reading Borough Council planning officers informed the staff on site that the changes required planning permission.
The applicant then submitted detailed designs of the changes, which involve the repainting of the shopfront to black and internal alterations.
A report by planning officer Marcelina Rejwerska states: “Permission is sought for internal alterations to facilitate the new use of the property as an escape room with four themed game rooms.
“The alterations comprise new timber doors and stud walls formed of timber framing with plasterboard to create the game rooms, new timber suspended ceilings and floor coverings over the existing to facilitate set dressing and a new toilet in the basement to replace the existing kitchen.
“At the time of this application, the works have commenced, including installation of stud walls and new flooring, however, this was paused to allow the planning applications to be determined.”
Overall, it was judged that the works would be appropriate, with officer Rejwerska concluding that the external alterations are sympathetic to the character and appearance of the property, and the internal alterations will have no impact on the original historic fabric, and are considered to be lightweight and easily reversible.
The project was therefore approved on September 26.
You can view the application by typing reference PL/25/1033 into the council’s planning portal.
The escape room has been enabled after Parker’s relocated to 11-12 Market Place last year.
It will be located next to the black painted feature building, which has been unoccupied for years, and The Bap Korean Street Food.
Streetview imagery shows that the black building was previously occupied by Kik Sports.
Meanwhile, ‘The Bap’ opened in August 2023, taking over from the La’De Express Turkish restaurant.
The escape room will be coming immediately next to a wider redevelopment of a row of buildings in the street by a company called Watercrown.
This involves bringing properties 27-32 Market Place back into use to create eight apartments, a new retail unit and a 260.4 sqm pub.
There was previously a pub along the street called the Coopers Arms, which closed in 2010 after around 150 years of serving customers.
