Latest on Hollywood Bowl coming to Reading next summer

A NEW bowling alley coming to the biggest shopping centre in Reading has moved a step closer to reality as plans for opening times have been submitted.

National bowling company Hollywood Bowl is set to open at the Riverside area of The Oracle shopping centre in the summer of 2025.

Work is underway to prepare floorspace within the centre for the bowling company to occupy.

The floorspace was previously the lowest level of the House of Fraser department store, which closed at the end of October last year.

Since then, work has been undertaken to fit out the unit, which is obscured by a mural celebrating the ‘three Bs of Reading’: beer, biscuits and bulbs.

A work by the Global Street Art team from London celebrating the three Bs of Reading: brewing, biscuits and bulbs at the riverside level l of The Oracle shopping centre. Credit: Local Democracy Reporting Service

The artwork references three major companies that were based in the town; H & G Simonds brewers, Huntley & Palmers biscuit makers, and Sutton and Sons.

READ MORE: Art celebrating Reading appears as House of Fraser replacement work takes place

Now, Hollywood Bowl has applied to open from 8am to 00.30am each day once work is completed and it is ready for occupation. It has also applied to stay open until 2.30am on New Year’s Day.

Currently, planning conditions for The Oracle state that stores and restaurants must close at midnight from Monday to Saturday and 11pm on Sundays, Bank Holidays and other statutory holidays. But Hollywood Bowl wants to operate later than that.

Justifying the later hours, a planning agent from consultants Turley said: “The requested extension in the opening hours is required to meet Hollywood Bowl’s operational requirements and will facilitate the reoccupation of this prominent Riverside unit.

“The proposed occupation by Hollywood Bowl will positively contribute to the night-time economy, without causing adverse impacts to residential amenity.”

The planning agent also stressed that the hours change only affected the unit that Hollywood Bowl will occupy, and not the upper two units that are being created at the old House of Fraser store.

A floorplan showing Hollywood Bowl occupying the lower ground floor mall of The Oracle shopping centre in Reading, which used to be occupied by House of Fraser. Credit: Hammerson / FMX / Completely Retail

TK Maxx is set to open at the Lower Mall, with the Upper Mall unit being ‘under offer’ according to the website Completely Retail.

The application for extended hours for Hollywood Bowl can be found by typing reference 240741 into Reading Borough Council’s planning portal.

The council’s planning applications committee approved the subdivision of the former House of Fraser and Debenhams department stores into three units each in September last year.

Its licensing department approved an application for activities within the Hollywood Bowl unit in March this year.

These activities include food and alcohol sales, with drinks being served from a bar between 10am to midnight each day, and until 2am on New Year’s Day. However, the company still requires planning consent for the extended hours.

The nearest Hollywood Bowl is currently located at The Point and Peel Centre in Bracknell, which closes at 11pm most nights and midnight on Fridays and Saturdays.