Progress is being made to bring a long-closed town centre pub and shops back into use.
The buildings containing the Cooper Arms in Market Place, Reading town centre are set to be brought back into use as a new pub, shops and eight flats.
The developers have submitted details which, once approved, will allow the project to go ahead.
Elsewhere, the operators of a steak restaurant in Caversham are in a dispute with Reading Borough Council officers over noise coming from a new kitchen extraction system.
You can view each application featured by typing the reference in brackets into the council’s planning portal.
Detailed plans for former Coopers Arms building (PL/25/0087 and PL/25/0088)
Development company Watercrown is moving forward with its project to bring the Coopers Arms and neighbouring buildings back into use.
The company has submitted details relating to the bin stores for the eight new apartments and new commercial units, as well as what measures will be taken to prevent vermin infestations (reference PL/25/0088).
The other application (ref PL/25/0087) relates to hard and soft landscaping, with a sketch showing planting in a private courtyard.
Progress on conversion of defunct offices into flats (BC/24/0931)
Next door to the Coopers Arms at 23-24 Market Place, a building control application has been submitted for the conversion of the building into five flats.
The BAP Korean Street Food will remain on the ground floor of the building, with one two-bed apartment being created on the ground floor, and two two-bedroom flats being created on each of the upper floors.
The conversion of the building into habitable accommodation was approved by the council’s planning applications committee in December 2023.
Dispute over extraction unit for steak restaurant (PL/24/0452)
Dining company Mitchells & Butlers is in a dispute with the council over plans for new extraction and ventilation system at the Miller & Carter steakhouse in Caversham.
The restaurant was opened in October 2022, with the company applying for retrospective consent for the installed equipment the following year.
Although the system was approved in August 2023, consent was given on the condition that a noise assessment be submitted and approved by the council.
However, council officers observed a sustained humming noise during visits in July 2024 and this month, with details of the extraction unit being refused on January 23.
Redevelopment of vacant buildings in Whitley Wood (PL/25/0097)
The development company Whitley Wood Properties has amended the description of the project to transform 142-144 Whitley Wood Lane to accurately reflect what the development involves.
The scheme involves the demolition of existing single-storey buildings and two-storey rear extensions, and replacing them with a two-storey side and rear extension to allow the existing building to be converted into an 11-person home of multiple occupation (HMO).
The ground floor will provide three commercial units, one of which will be occupied by the Whitley Superstore.
Finally, a new two-storey building to the rear will provide three two-bed homes.
