New 157-room hotel proposed for Reading’s town centre
A NEW 157-room hotel could be created in Reading’s Friar Street if plans go ahead.
The proposals would see the Revolucion de Cuba and the Eyesite opticians – formerly HMV and the Friar Street Bookshop – demolished to create the new space. However, historic inn The Bugle would be retained.
The pub closed during covid lockdown, and has not reopened.
The Thackery Group is behind the plans, which were revealed at a Zoom meeting held by Reading Civic Society.
Last year, Thackery Group won approval to transform 1-15 Queen Victoria Street and 147-148 Friar Street with 3,308sq m of new retail space and 41 bed apartment-hotel, called the Queen Victoria Place development.
The plan involves creating a new space by demolishing older buildings and replacing them with retail space for businesses.
According to Alan Bunce from UK Property Forums, Thackery Group owns a sizeable portion of the town centre, running from numbers 138-145 Friar Street.
It also plans to redevelop 145146 Friar Street, the buildings which houses Reading Food &
Wine and WH Smith.
Thackery Group has driven some recent development in the town centre, with 1 Station Road, where the US burger chain Wendy’s opened in June last year.
Meanwhile, the closed Cafe Nero at the junction of Friar Street and Queen Victoria Street is due to become a Black Sheep Coffee branch.
The proposals can be viewed in detail on the dedicated queenvictoriastreet. co.ukwebsite, with the aim for a planning application to be submitted to Reading Borough Council.