Plan submitted for 163 room hotel in Reading

By Stephen Emerson

21 September 2022

Share

The Business Magazine article image for: Plan submitted for 163 room hotel in Reading

An application has been submitted to build a new hotel complex on the site of a former town centre pub in Reading.

Plans have been lodged with Reading Borough Council by the National Pub Portfolio to create a 163-bed hotel with a lounge, bar and restaurant on the site of The Bugle pub on Friar Street.

The frontage of the pub, which closed in October last year, would be retained.

Reading town centre has seen a flurry of planning applications this year with developers targeting the hotel and residential markets.

Eddisons is seeking a development partner for Reading’s Minster Quarter Central on behalf of Reading Borough Council.

The 5.2 acre site was formerly the location of the civic centre offices before they were moved to Bridge Street in 2014. It is adjacent to Reading’s Hexagon and Broad Street Mall shopping centre, and close to the Oracle Centre.

One possible proposal for the site, subject to planning permission, would see the construction of residential units providing a mix of private accommodation, Build to Rent (BTR) and affordable housing, along with a 90 bed hotel, flexible working and conference facilities and an outdoor performance space.

John Lewis Partnership has chosen Reading as one of its three new rental home development locations.

The Reading site will replace the vacant John Lewis warehouse in Mill Lane with the other two developments being sited over Waitrose shops in Bromley and West Ealing in Greater London.

John Lewis is looking to tap into the growing 'built-to-rent' property market and alongside as acting as the developer it will manage the buildings once complete.

Plans to convert part of the Oracle Centre into 475 apartments are likely to be submitted in Autumn.

Oracle Centre owners, Hammerson are undertaking a consultation process before submitting a planning application to Reading Borough Council.

By Stephen Emerson

Stephen Emerson is the Managing Editor of The Business Magazine and is responsible for the publication's print publications and online properties including the newly launched Biz News websites in Hampshire and Dorset.

Stephen has been a journalist for 20 years and has worked at local, regional and national publications and led a team which made The Scotsman website one of the fastest growing news sites in the UK with over eight million monthly users.

He has a keen interest in technology, property and corporate finance and telling the stories of the people behind the successful firms in these sectors.