The owners of a well-known building in Reading town centre have applied for it to be renamed.
Dukesbridge House in Dukes Street is passed by hundreds of walkers a day, and now its owners want to rebrand it Republiq Reading.
That is just one of the plans that have been submitted in the borough recently.
Tesco has applied to get rid of an ‘outdated’ heating system in one of its superstores, and the owners of a home in Emmer Green have applied to replace their home with a brand new one.
You can view plans by putting the reference numbers in brackets into the council’s planning website here: http://planning.reading.gov.uk/fastweb_PL/welcome.asp
Rebrand of well-known Reading town centre building (220068)
The owners of Dukesbridge House, Lipman Properties Ltd has applied to rebrand it ‘Republiq Reading’ according to planning documents.
The rebrand involves putting ‘Republiq Reading’ lettering on the semi-circular arched entrance to the building, but no modifications to the ground floor are proposed.
And other than that, details are scarce.
The building has had something of a mixed recent history.
Lipman Properties won approval to convert offices into 77 flats in the building in September 2020.
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An existing plan (reference 201081) to add 36 flats to the building, submitted in February 2021, is yet to be decided.
The Subway on the ground floor is closed until further notice, with blinds drawn across its windows.
But gym space on the ground floor and basement level of Dukesbridge House has recently been purchased, according to Fleurets chartered surveyors.
Removal of heater and boiler at Tesco Superstore (212079)
Tesco has applied to remove its existing Combined Heater and Power Boiler (CHP) unit used to heat the superstore in Portman Road.
Agents for the supermarket giant state the removal of CHP unit is part of Tesco’s wider sustainability ambitions and ‘commitment’ to reaching carbon net zero.
In a supporting letter, the planning agents also said that the CHP unit is “now coming to the end of its operational life”.
It is understood that the store will be heated with renewable electricity from now on.
The installation of the CHP unit was a condition of the Tesco store being approved in 2006 – with it first opening in 2008.
Fresh plan for long-stalled home improvement project in Emmer Green (211944)
A fresh plan has been submitted for a long-stalled home improvement project in Emmer Green.
The owners of 4 Cherwell Road initially won permission to make a double storey front extension, a single storey rear extension and alterations to the roof in July 2016, under planning application 160735, with work beginning in the summer of 2018.
However, a number of structural and safety issues slowed down the project, as well as the coronavirus pandemic, where work ended entirely.
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When construction workers recently restarted, the applicants felt that due to safety and economic reasons it would be better to completely demolish the existing home and replace it instead.
The replacement home would have five bedrooms upstairs, with a master bedroom with an ensuite shower and bath, two bedrooms with ensuite showers and toilets, and a family bathroom that also comes with a toilet and a shower.
Downstairs, the home would come with a open plan kitchen living room, a lounge study, and a toilet.
Plan for extensions to home in Tilehurst (220038)
The owners of 122 Park Lane in Tilehurst have applied to build a two-storey side and rear extension to their home.
Number 122 is currently an end of terrace house.
The extension would provide a new porch, hall and utility room on the ground floor, which would also allow for a more spacious kitchen and dining area.
There are currently two bedrooms in the house – the extension would allow for an third bedroom on the first floor.
The owners also want to do a loft conversion which would allow for a fourth bedroom in the house with an ensuite.
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