Planned changes to a Reading retail park and care homes in the town are among the applications that have been submitted recently.
The owners of Brunel Retail Park in Whitley have applied to make changes to the composition of the units to allow one of the curent stores to relocate.
Meanwhile, two application have been submitted relating to care homes in East Reading.
Near the town centre, a developer has applied to knock down the historic Olympia Hall and replace it with 12 apartments.
You can view full plans for each of the applications by typing the planning reference in brackets into Reading Borough Council’s planning portal here: http://planning.reading.gov.uk/fastweb_PL/welcome.asp
Changes planned for Brunel Retail Park (220110)
The owners of Brunel Retail Park, Mayfair Capital has applied to make changes to its units which would allow B&M to relocate from its current place in the park to units 3a/3b.
B&M currently occupies unit 8, but now wants to move into units 3a/3b.
Both units are vacant, with unit 3b previously being occupied by Next, which is listed as permanently closed by Google.
READ MORE: Next closes two retail park stores
In order for the move to take place, conditions of the retail park’s planning approval which date back to October 2013, which control the goods that can be sold in the units.
A supporting letter from the park owner’s planning agents state that B&M want to increase in size.
Replacement of Olympia Hall with 12 apartments and conversion of existing townhouse into flats (220245)
Woodside Reading Ltd, the owners of 75-77 London Street, have applied to knock down the historic Olympia Hall to the rear of the building and replace it with 12 flats.
Olympia Hall dates back to 1914, and was used as an events venue in 1939.
Some time later, it was renamed the Shehnai ballroom as a venue for hire, but it closed down in 2019.
Now the developers want to demolish the hall and replace it with two apartment block buildings, with each containing six flats.
Furthermore Woodside also wants to convert ground floor rooms in the existing townhouse into three flats.
The main building is Grade II listed, and dates back to 1754, which has meant that a heritage statement has been submitted to assess the impact the changes will have.
Additional 13 bed building for care home (220218)
The Northcourt Lodge Nursing Home in Northcourt Avenue has applied to build a 13 bed new building for future occupants on its existing site.
The home currently has 21 beds and provides nursing and dementia care for its residents.
This plan involves building a two storey building made up of 13 bedrooms, with ensuites, a lounge area, office, laundry room, kitchen, a disabled staircase, lift, a disabled bathroom and plant room.
It would be built on the garden of the existing home.
Conversion of closed day care centre into children’s care home (212086)
Sustainable Design & Energy Consultants has applied to convert the closed day centre at 2 Alexandra Road into a children’s care home.
The building has been closed since late 2019 and used to serve as a day Centre for adults with learning difficulties and autism, with four bedrooms for respite care.
Its operators Quality Care Providers had achieved a 3 star food hygiene rating as recently as September 9, 2019.
Now the developers want to convert it to serve as a children’s care home with 10 bedrooms.
Works would involve changing the interior, building a single storey front extension, a reception, and a kitchen.
Activity space for future occupants would be provided on the ground floor, with bedrooms spread across the three floors in the building.
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