Wokingham approves demolition of Shire Hall, brutalist office complex, to make way for Shinfield Park redevelopment.
A church in Reading now has a nursery. They refused new signs for an Oxford Road store. You can see applications online by using the council’s planning portal and reference number.
Wokingham approved demolition of former council offices (App 250188). They will redevelop the Shire Hall site in Shinfield Park. It was a brutalist-style office complex completed in 1981. Queen Elizabeth II opened it in 1982.
The county council stopped existing in 1998. Foster Wheeler took over the site from 2000. Wood Plc used it until they moved last August. Wrenbridge and Fiera Real Estate bought Shire Hall last August.
Wokingham approved demolishing the complex to basement level. Demolition can only occur during certain hours: 8am to 6pm on weekdays and 8am to 1pm on Saturdays. The plan includes tearing down two bungalows and removing other small buildings.
Reading has a new nursery at St Mary’s Church (App PL/25/0242) called Little Llamas Montessori Nursery. Ofsted registered it recently. The nursery is in the back of a historic church with a unique Corinthian design, and they want to put up some signs.
Reading refused a new store sign request (App PL/24/1715). The store is M.K Food & Wine at 602 Oxford Road, and the owners wanted to change the store’s signs.
The council officer, Gary Miles, said no because he felt the sign was unattractive, too big, and too bright. The sign orientation and location were also bad. M.K Food & Wine replaced APR Convenience Store in 2022.