COUNCILLORS in Reading are this week expected to approve a major shake-up of The Oracle shopping centre.
The site’s owners, Hammerson, wants to turn both House of Fraser and the former Debenham site into three units, saying it would give greater flexibility for potential occupants.
Planning agents Turley say shopping habits are moving away from a focus on department stores and the extended closure of shops can lead to “a downward spiral of decline and lack of confidence in the centre”.
The revamped stores would then be open to lets from retail and food businesses, as well as gym groups and medical practitioners. However, use as a go-kart rink, ice rink, swimming pool or shooting sports such as airsoft or paintball has been ruled out.
To do so, a planning condition dating back to The Oracle’s approval in 1997 needs to be revoked.
A Reading Borough Council planning officer recommended the proposals for approval, noting this condition ‘inhibits a flexible approach’ to attract future occupants of the shopping centre and is “detrimental to the vitality and viability of the centre by severely limiting the successful reoccupation of the department stores”.
Both department stores stretch across three levels, with House of Fraser having a total of 12,188 sq m of floorspace and the former Debenhams store – laterally used by Next Beauty & Home – having 11,202 sq m.
Hammerson has applied for a new condition that would limit department store use to a minimum of 1,000 sq m.
In July, the Local Democracy Reporting Service asked House of Frasers owners, the Fraser Group, what would happen to the store, but has not received a response.
No official objections to the plan have been received by members of the public.
The scheme is set to be decided at a Reading Borough Council planning applications committee meeting on Wednesday, September 6.
To view the application, search for reference 230682 into Reading Borough Council’s planning portal.
