Changes coming for a fast food drive-thru, a car and bike store and more at a busy retail park in Reading.
The Reading Retail Park at the end of Oxford Road is due for changes as modifications are due at the KFC drive-thru and the former Wrens Kitchens store.
Reading Borough Council’s planning department has approved changes for the KFC which involve providing an extra ordering lane for the drive-thru and new branding.
This will involve the painting of a new black colonel sign and chicken artwork on the side of the building.
The extra ordering lane will allow KFC to process more orders.
Meanwhile, the owning company of the retail park Threadneedle UK Property has applied to make changes to the vacant Wrens Kitchen unit to allow Halfords to downsize.
Planned changes would see Unit G at the retail park, the former Wren Kitchens store, altered to provide refurbished shopping space and a new shopfront.
The project would involve the loss of two parking spaces to provide improved pedestrian access.
Once Halfords has relocated, that would clear the way for a foodstore to move into a new enlarged space.
The relocation and foodstore occupancy hinges on a plan to amalgamate the existing Halfords unit and the closed Carpetright unit.
Adam Cornish, from Threadneedle’s planning agent Quod explained: “Halfords, whilst looking to retain their presence at Reading Retail Park, have actively been looking to downsize their operation.
“This formed part of the narrative behind the submission of the amalgamation plan (reference 221110), which, once permitted, will allow Unit B and C at Reading Retail Park to be amalgamated and used as a foodstore.
“As a result Halfords can now be relocated to the vacant former Wren Kitchens Unit.”
Wrens Kitchens has been vacant since 2018, with the company focusing on its location at Reading Gateway.
The retail park in Oxford Road has undergone some changes over the years.
The unit KFC occupies used to be a Pizza Hut, which was converted into KFC by 2012.
Meanwhile, Carpetright, which occupied the unit next to Halfords, is believed to have closed last September.
A plan, reference 221110, was submitted in July 2022 would see the Halfords and Carpetright units fused together for a food store to occupy the larger space.
This project would also see changes to the shopfront and a rear extension for the amalgamated unit.
You can view the application for the plan for Halfords to relocate by typing reference 231812 into the council’s planning portal.
Also, you can view the approved plan for signs for the KFC using reference 220073 and changes to the drive-thru using reference 220072.
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