Abbey Gardens South signs up two new occupiers

Two new occupiers have signed up to move into office space totalling 10,200 sq ft at the Abbey Gardens South development in Reading. Provider of cloud services Inframon has taken 2,644 sq ft on the ground floor on a five-year lease, while recruitment business Premier Group, has taken 7,556 sq ft on the fifth floor of the refurbished development which is part of the Abbey Gardens complex owned by Hermes Investment Management. Stephen Ellis, asset manager at Hermes Investment Management said:

MyStore completes Witney unit

Self storage business MyStore has opened a new development of 34,000 sq ft of space at Witney. MyStore, along with sister business House & Carriage operates removals, storage and shipping from three sites in Witney including the new development which will provide 22,000 sq ft of self storage space divided into 360 rooms across four floors as well as 12,000 sq ft dedicated to containerised storage. Former Prime Minister and local MP David Cameron performed the opening on Friday, September 16.

Bracknell to slash its affordable housing waiting list

Strict new rules are being debated to cut try to the numbers on Bracknell Forest’s waiting list for affordable homes. If the plans go through at the Tuesday, September 27 meeting of the council’s executive, then: * Only those who have lived in Bracknell Forest for four years can join the housing register as of Monday, November 1. * Those who have been living in the borough for three years or more on November 1 will remain on the register. * Those who have lived in the borough for less than

Gillette site may become home to major new innovation centre

Procter and Gamble plans to move its Greater London Innovation Centre from Egham to a new 10,000 sq m building at the Gillette site at Reading. The firm, which owns a host of personal care and cleaning products plans a major redevelopment of the Reading site behind its famous Gillette building on Basingstoke Road. P&G; has submitted a screening application to Reading Borough Council to ask if an Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) is needed for its plans. The proposal is for a new ‘up to

Pizzas, burgers and Thai plan for Jacksons

Three new restaurants have signed up to move into the former Jackson's store in King's Road, Reading. Property Week has reported that Pizza chain Franco Manca, burger restaurant Byron and Busaba Eathai which serves Thai food, have taken the three units at between £36 per sq ft and £48 per sq ft, levels not previously seen in Reading outside of The Oracle. Jacksons owners SG Capital bought the building easier this year and are making a revised application for the three units although Property

Thames Lido aims for Spring opening

Thames Valley Property has had a rare glimpse inside the former King’s Meadow swimming pool in Reading which after more than 40 years, will come back to life next year as Thames Lido. For almost a third of its 114 years the former King’s Meadow lido has been an eyesore but next year it reopens, offering Reading an amenity like it’s never had. The team behind Lido Bristol, a once-derelict building, now restored and regenerated with restaurant and bar sitting alongside a luxurious heated open

Arthur Hill pool set to close

Councillors meet next week to decide a radical plan to close a 105-year-old swimming pool and replace it in 2020. Arthur Hill pool in King’s Road, Reading has become increasingly costly to run and Reading Borough Council’s policy committee will next week (September 26) decide on a plan to close it. The proposal is to close the pool on December 19 and build a planned replacement at Palmer Park Stadium in three to four years. The council has to save #41 million by 2020 and the Arthur Hill pool

750 homes at Hounsome Fields approved

Councillors have approved 750 homes at Hounsome Fields to the south west of Basingstoke. The council’s development control committee approved the Wates Development plans on September 7 for the 111-acre site. The one, two, three, four and five bedroom homes will include 40 per cent affordable properties and five self build homes but the committee inserted a clause to include a Gypsy/traveller site. The South West Action Group had argued for the proposed primary school and nursery to be

Rejected plans for 95 homes at Shiplake set for appeal

Plans for 95 homes at Shiplake are likely to go to appeal after being thrown out by planners. South Oxfordshire District Council’s (SODC) planning committee considered the plans for 95 homes at Thames Farm on Wednesday, September 7 but after being unanimously rejected on grounds of highways safety and the impact on the surroundings, farm owner Claire Engbers told the Henley Standard she would be appealing. Around 100 local residents opposing the scheme turned up at the meeting at Crowmarsh

New Aldi and Lidl approved on Reading borders

A new Aldi and a new Lidl have been approved on either side of Reading on the same day by two different councils. West Berkshire Council’s eastern area planning committee approved the new Lidl for Calcot which will be next door to the existing Aldi on Bath Road on Wednesday, September 13. On the same evening Wokingham Borough Council’ planning committee approved plans for a new Aldi at Suttons Business Park which will have a drive-thru Costa in the car park. The Calcot Lidl had had objections