A new climbing centre WILL be coming to Reading in the near future after a plan by an activity company to bring its facilities to the town was approved.
The Climbing Hangar company, which has seven locations in England and Wales, has won permission to transform a unit of the Stadium Way Industrial Estate in Tilehurst into a indoor climbing and bouldering centre.
Unit 8 was previously used as a production facility for work and kitchen surfaces by Plasman Laminate Products, but work stopped there back in 2017.
Now, work will be undertaken to convert it into the climbing centre, a prospect which was welcomed by Reading Borough Council’s planning committee.
Councillor James Moore (Liberal Democrats, Tilehurst) said: “I’m especially pleased to see that unit which has been empty for five years brought back into use, I think that’s absolutely brilliant.
“And I’m especially pleased to see it being used for a really good sort of physical activity and provide another amenity to the people of Reading.
“I don’t think we have such a thing currently that I’m aware of I think having another string to our bow in those terms is a fantastic thing.”
There is a climbing centre called Parthian Climbing Reading at Unit 33 of the Robert Cort Industrial Estate in Britten Road.
The scheme was also welcomed as a fun place for people to exercise.
Cllr Micky Leng (Labour, Whitley) said: “I think it will provide fun and fitness, and when people are finished eating their Kentuckies [KFC] and McDonalds round there they can burn off some calories.”
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Councillors did have some questions about green measures would be enacted and what type of an impact the Climbing Hangar would have on traffic and parking.
Cllr Josh Williams (Green, Park) was happy that air source heat pumps will be used to keep the building warm, but asked whether sustainability measures could be added such as solar panels or a green or brown roof.
However, discussions about these measures did not take place between the council and the developers.
Planning officer Connie Davis explained: “Solar panels or a change in the roof was not discussed or considered as part of the application.
“The proposed sustainability measures that the applicant felt they could propose on the building were outlined in their sustainability statement, which on balance were considered enough to support the application.
“The applicant put forward all that they thought they could achieve on this site.”
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Cllr Andrew Hornsby-Smith (Labour, Church) questioned whether there would be a traffic clash between people going to the climbing centre and leaving work in the industrial estate.
Council highways officer Darren Cook replied that he was satisfied that there would be sufficient parking for those using the Climbing Hangar and that its presence would not present a traffic problem.
The scheme was unanimously approved by the council’s planning committee on Wednesday, September 7.
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