Latest news with #ReadingBoroughCouncil
Yahoo
3 days ago
- Business
- Yahoo
Conversion of huge former Three offices in Reading into 110 flats underway
The conversion of the huge former Three mobile offices in Reading into more than 100 flats is underway despite delays to the project. Plans were previously approved to convert Great Brighams Mead in Vastern Road into 110 flats, with Three moving out to Green Park in 2022. Now, the developers of the building have won permission to make changes to the exterior of the building to facilitate its conversion. Elsewhere, a takeaway serving biryanis and other Indian food is due to be transformed into a restaurant, and a project to redevelop a long-closed betting shop is moving ahead. You can view each decided application by typing the reference in brackets into Reading Borough Council's planning portal. External changes to convert Three offices into 110 flats approved (PL/25/0052) Approved elevation plans for the external alterations to Great Brighams Mead in Vastern Road, Reading. (Image: Ridge) Changes to the exterior of Great Brighams Mead to facilitate its conversion into flats have been approved. These alterations involve adding four new entrance ramps, new walling, and replacing windows and doors. Extra time given to convert huge offices in Reading into 110 flats Assessing the project, planning officer Matt Burns wrote: "The ramps are modest additions given the scale of the existing building and are not considered to result in a significant adverse impact on the appearance of the building. "The proposed replacement windows and doors and infill brickwork work would match the existing building in terms of use of materials, colour and design and as such are considered to integrate satisfactorily with the appearance of the existing building." Takeaway set to be transformed into restaurant (PL/25/0052) Biryanish in Oxford Road, Reading. (Image: Google Maps) The Biryanish takeaway in Oxford Road is due to be transformed into a diner-style restaurant as internal modifications have been approved. The project involves relocating the kitchen and storage area to the rear of the building, clearing the way for a total of 43 seats for dine-in customers to be formed, while maintaining a takeaway function. Streetview imagery shows Biryanish serving customers during the Reading Festival last year in a temporary outdoor area. The premises was previously a fusion of Pizza King, King's Burger and the Jasmine Takeaway and the Singapore Takeaway before that. Progress made on redevelopment of old betting shop (PL/25/0444) The former Coral betting shop at 233 London Road, East Reading. (Image: Google Maps) Progress is made on a project to redevelop an old betting shop to provide new commercial space and homes. The Coral shop in London Road has been closed for more than five years, with developers winning permission to remodel the shopfront, add extensions to the building, and construct a new building to the rear containing six flats in June last year. Now, some of the planning hurdles involved in the redevelopment have been cleared. While the applicant has won approval of the details of the materials and how the construction will go ahead, they have been told they require permission from the council's network management team for any footpath or road closures.
BBC News
5 days ago
- Business
- BBC News
Reading office to be transformed into block of nearly 100 flats
Offices in Reading town centre are set to be converted into nearly 100 flats after plans were Abbey Gardens office complex stands seven storeys tall along Kings Road in the town office complex, near the Abbey Ruins, is due to be converted into 92 apartments, made up of 84 one-bed and eight two-bed project has been approved through permitted development planning rules that allow the conversion of commercial buildings and offices into homes. Conversions like the Abbey Gardens project require prior approval from the local planning authority to determine living standards are acceptable for future project was approved following an assessment by Reading Borough Council planning officer Nathalie wrote: "It is evident that the vast majority of habitable rooms will benefit from suitable access to natural light, given the size of the existing clear glazed windows and the configuration of the proposed units."The Abbey Gardens residences will be car-free, with the exception of three accessible disabled parking bays, with future occupants being able to make use of 48-cycle storage plans also said future occupants would not be entitled to an on-street car parking permit. You can follow BBC Berkshire on Facebook, X (Twitter), or Instagram.
BBC News
24-05-2025
- Automotive
- BBC News
Reading's major roads resurfacing programme restarts
Fifteen sections of a Berkshire town's major roads will be resurfaced over the next six weeks, as part of an £8m local authority work will begin in Northumberland Avenue on Tuesday and conclude in Berkeley Avenue on 5 July, with 13 other road sections resurfaced in between, said Reading Borough authority said it would take the number of major road sections improved so far this year to 30, after 15 other stretches were resurfaced in a previous phase of the programme in March and road improvement scheme also covers smaller residential roads, 100 of which were surfaced between February and April. Road closures and a temporary "no waiting at any time traffic order" will be in place to prevent parking on the roads while the work is carried out, said the council. Residents and businesses directly affected will get advance notice, alerting them to the work, along with on-street closure notices and letters to residents, it said, adding that bus diversions will also be put in Borough Council said its commitment to improving highways had already produced results, including a 39% reduction in the number of pothole reports from the public and improvements to over 800 roads since Rowland, the council's lead for environmental services and community safety, said she hoped residents "are as pleased as we are to see the momentum continuing with our road improvements in Reading".She said: "We recognise that, at times, there are frustrations with road closures but we ask everyone to bear with us as we do our best to get these improvements made as quickly and efficiently as possible."The full schedule of the upcoming works can be found on the council's website. You can follow BBC Berkshire on Facebook, X (Twitter), or Instagram.
BBC News
15-05-2025
- General
- BBC News
Bones and Roman brooch to go in Reading Museum clear-out
A museum is set to dispose of items it no longer needs, including human bones and a Roman jewellery Museum, which is run by Reading Borough Council, said it had identified 33 items that are either damaged, in poor condition or are disposal is part of a wider project to assess and move almost 500,000 objects to a new collection Smith, the council's library and museum manager, said he did not yet know what would happen to the items but the aim was to "keep things within the museum sector if possible". The museum in Reading Town Hall is free to enter and contains items of interest including artefacts from Roman Silchester, a Huntley & Palmers biscuit tin collection and a Victorian replica of the Bayeux Tapestry that depicts the Battle of Hastings in items set for disposal were identified as having no further use for display, education, or research, or would be more appropriate for a collection at another include human bones with either no or unclear provenance, part of a Roman bronze brooch which is incomplete and too damaged to be of further use, and duplicate collectable ale bottles. Councillors decided to dispose of the items at a recent Jan Gavin asked what was meant by the term "disposal".Mr Smith said: "If they are not suitable to be in the museum sector for whatever reason, because they are of low value, broken or damaged, then we do dispose of things occasionally through auctioneers."I don't know where each of these items is destined for, but it is all in line with the policy." You can follow BBC Berkshire on Facebook, X, or Instagram.
BBC News
12-05-2025
- Business
- BBC News
Reading Borough Council promises crackdown on fly-tipping
Tougher enforcement on fly-tipping and littering is due to begin in a Berkshire town this month as part of a push to crack down on the Borough Council said it was seeking to boost penalties for fly-tipping and littering by using an external director of environmental and commercial services Chris Wheeler said fly-tipping was a key concern for residents, and the new strategy would result in "more actions against those found to be littering and fly-tipping".The new enforcement arrangement began this month but is subject to an acquisition process. If a full tendering process is required, the service would be implemented in the autumn, according to a report by Mr Wheeler. The new arrangement comes at no extra charge through the council."It's intended to address the key concerns of residents around litter and fly-tipping and other related environmental crime," said Mr Wheeler."This type of approach is new to Reading, and we wanted to be transparent about the benefits of the approach, the risks and the planned controls to manage some of those risks."In taking this approach, it will result in increased activity and more actions against those found to be littering and fly-tipping."Karen Rowland, lead councillor for environmental services said the arrangement was set on tackling the issue in a cost effective added the arrangement would allow the authority's recycling and environmental enforcement officers to focus on the government's planned Simpler Recycling plans were welcomed by councillors, including independent Sarah Hacker and Green's Sarah Magon. You can follow BBC Berkshire on Facebook, X (Twitter), or Instagram.
