Decision on expansion for Purple Turtle in Reading delayed

The Purple Turtle at 9 Gun Street is one of the most popular places for a night out in Reading, known for regularly hosting DJs and live music performances. 

The owners of the bar applied to transform the building next door, 10 Gun Street, to provide a café restaurant, bringing food to the venue for what is thought to be the first time, and a performance stage and bar. 

The project also involves constructing an entirely new building providing a green room for performers, a store and a basement refuse store. 

The plans first emerged in 2023.

An artist's impression of the rear of 10 Gun Street, part of a project to transform the building by The Purple Turtle bar in Reading. (Image: Alan Brown Design)

Members of Reading Borough Council's planning applications committee were meant to make a decision on the project during a meeting on Wednesday, January 8.

However, the decision was delayed so that councillors could conduct a site visit.

Councillor Richard Davies (Labour, Thames) said: "It may not be a major application, but I think it's a very important application.

"It's in a conservation area, it's one of the most historically important streets in Reading town centre, it's got some of the most preserved historic buildings.

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"It itself is a listed building, the fabric of the building will be affected by the proposed development."

Cllr Davies then clarified that the project is likely to create more noise, and could have an impact on the Holy Brook stream which runs underneath the site.

Furthermore, 10 Gun Street is Grade II listed as it dates back to around 1700 and would require substantial internal modifications to bring back into use.

An internal cross-section plan for the transformation of 10 Gun Street by The Purple Turtle bar in Reading. (Image: Alan Brown Design)

Cllr Davies said: "I think I would benefit and colleagues might benefit from visiting, getting an idea of the parts of the building that will be affected.

"I do want to say I'm minded that this application is a good application in general – I don't want anyone to think that I'm determining the application at this point.

"I just think that a visit and addressing those questions that I have and others may have would really help me in determining this."

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The deferral proposal was seconded by cllr Karen Rowland (Labour, Abbey).

She said: "I think that there are things that do really need to be understood.

"The Purple Turtle has a very close association with this as they are right next door and there are possibilities of enhancing what is one of this town's favourite opportunities for evening entertainment.

"I think we need to understand that relation with the Holy Brook and the listed building."

Cllr Rowland added that there is still confusion over the impacts the project could have, and that a visit would be helpful to determine it. 

Cllr Jan Gavin (Labour, Caversham) the chair of the committee, said the visit will likely take place on Thursday, January 30. 

You can view the project by typing references PL/23/0107 and PL/23/0108 into the council's planning portal.

A decision on the project is expected to be made at the next committee meeting on Wednesday, February 5.