Approval set for town centre apartment plans

Councillors in Reading are set to make a decision on ambitious redevelopment plans for the Oracle shopping centre in the heart of the city. The proposals include the construction of over 400 residential apartments and the replacement of the Vue cinema and the former Debenhams department store with modern towers.

Reading Borough Council planners have recommended approval of the project ahead of the planning applications committee meeting scheduled for Wednesday. The centre, which opened in 1999, was fully acquired by Hammerson last month. Key retailers such as Zara and Apple are expected to expand their units early next year.

Hammerson reports that the centre attracts more than 12 million visitors annually and features a variety of high street shops, dining options, a bowling and arcade complex, and a cinema. The apartment plans, first revealed three years ago, would introduce a residential aspect to the site for the first time.

Recent revisions to the project reduce the height of towers south of the river by two storeys, while adding a storey to a northern block. The Vue cinema and the former Debenhams site on the eastern side would be replaced by two towers, each containing 218 flats, flanking the Kennet River. The Vue building may be demolished entirely to make way for three new towers.

Among the four restaurants previously housed in the Vue building, Browns Brasserie closed in April 2024 and TGI Fridays shut down in June 2024. Cote Brasserie and Miller & Carter remain operational, with Miller & Carter having opened a second location at the Caversham Rose in October 2022. The redevelopment plans include a cinema and a single new restaurant on the ground floor.

The former Debenhams building, which has been vacant since 2023, will be partially demolished to allow construction of the new towers. All apartments will be designated as "build to rent," meaning they will not be available for purchase, and will be managed by Packaged Living.

Matt Burns, the council's principal planning officer, emphasized that the project will deliver "significant public benefits," including major improvements to public spaces. He added that the redevelopment will contribute to addressing local housing needs while ensuring a high standard of living for future residents.

Author: Sophia Brooks