A former heating business in the University area of Reading that was meant to be converted into a cafe has been vacant for nearly two decades.
The Red Serve Heating business at 56 Christchurch Road, Reading has been vacant for 19 years.
The building was meant to be converted into a cafe called Coffee Corner, with a plan to change its use being approved by Reading Borough Council’s planning applications committee in January 2022.
The project was approved on the condition that work shall begin no later than three years from the planning permission being issued.
However, nothing appears to have happened to the building since then, with it remaining vacant for nearly decades.
A report from 2021 stated that the building had been vacant for more than 15 years at that point.
A detailed application that was meant to contain information on car and cycle parking and waste management was submitted in July 2022, but none of the files relating to these details are available on the council’s planning portal.
The project proved controversial when it was discussed, with an earlier application to convert the building into a cafe and takeaway being refused in March 2021.
A follow-up application was submitted later that year, with a decision being deferred in December 2021.
During that meeting, neighbour Terri Brown, when asked whether another takeaway was needed, replied: “No please. We’re such a lovely residential area.
“We don’t need another takeaway. The rubbish is the biggest problem of all, parking is not helpful, please no. We’ve really got enough takeaways.
“It’s a disturbance to the area.”
Ultimately, the conversion of Red Serve into Coffee Corner was approved in January 2022, with stringent planning conditions controlling opening hours, deliveries and kitchen extraction equipment.
You can view the approved application by typing reference PL/21/0854 into the council’s planning portal.
The detailed application can be found using reference PL/22/0989. Although the website states the conditions were discharged in November 2022.
It is unclear whether the project has been ‘disposed of’ due to timing out, with a spokesperson from the council being unable to confirm this.
The spokesperson said: “We are not able to comment on the status of applications at this time as this is a legal matter.”
The planning application for ‘Coffee Corner’ was submitted by businessman Tony Chima.
Nearby cafes include the Greggs bakery, the Kung Fu Kafe & Noodle Bar, and those at the University of Reading Whiteknights Campus.
Further away in Shinfield Road, Bodrum Corner Cafe took over from Woody’s Grill at the junction with Whitley Wood Road in May last year.
Bodrum Corner is run by company director Mehmet Yildirir.
