New gym to join retail park alongside Home Bargains and Matalan

A new gym is set to be built at a busy retail park in Reading which is already home to Matalan and Home Bargains.

The gym will be constructed in the car park off the Reading Link Retail Park in Coley.

Elsewhere, transformation plans for closed banks in the town centre and Caversham have been given the go ahead.

These applications and others were decided at a meeting of Reading Borough Council's planning applications committee on Wednesday, June 26.

You can view the decided applications by typing the reference in brackets into the council's planning portal.

Gym at retail park approved (231077)

A new 1,780 sqm gym is set to be built on the car park of the Reading Link Retail Park.

Construction of the gym will result in the net loss of 47 spaces, leaving 264 spaces left on the site, which is also occupied by Matalan, Home Bargains, The Food Warehouse and Starbucks.

The gym is set to be operated by ‘JD Gyms’ 24/7. The company runs another site in Farnborough.

Councillor Amjad Tarar (Labour, Battle) said: "This is a very great facility which is going to be made in that area.

"The facility will be very nice and good for the local people, for their health as well."

He thanked the retail park owners Sorbon Estates for the application, which was approved unanimously.

Transformation of bank with 15 flats in town centre approved (230626 and 230627)

13-16 Market Place, Reading, which used to be occupied by Natwest bank. Credit: Danks Badnell

The transformation of the former Natwest bank in Market Place to provide retail space and 15 flats has been approved.

The project was discussed by councillors on May 29 who delayed a decision, with cllr Micky Leng (Labour Whitey) asking whether the council's housing department could acquire flats to provide affordable housing.

A council planning officer replied the housing department would be unable to acquire any of the flats, made up of 10 two-beds, four one-beds, and a three-bed apartment.

A sectional sketch of what the apartments project for 13-16 Market Place, Reading could look like. Credit: Danks Badnell

Furthermore, cllr Karen Rowland (Labour, Abbey) raised questions about waste collection and green roof options.

Applicants Eurospeak Academy provided evidence that the roof could either have vegetation or wildflowers added.

For waste, details must be submitted and approved by the council.

The project was unanimously approved.

Conversion of former bank into shops and flats approved (240068)

The former Barclays bank in Church Road, Caversham, that was closed down in June 2020. (Image: Reading Borough Council)

The former Barclays Bank in Church Road, Caversham is set to be converted into two shops and three flats.

The bank has been closed since June  2020, with Barclays claiming 'only' 37 customers used it exclusively for their banking.

The building was subsequently sold, with developers now winning unanimous approval to divide the ground floor into two shops.

The upper floors will be converted to provide one one-bed and two two-bed apartments, facilitated by a second-floor extension and a rear dormer roof extension.