The site of a former town centre barbers that has been vacant for months could be ‘brought back to life’ by a cafe with outdoor seating, plans have revealed.
Kerry Roberts barbers on Alexandra Court in Wokingham town centre closed in August last year. Now, Brown Bag cafe, which already has premises opposite, wants to move in.
An application for planning permission submitted to Wokingham Borough Council said cafe owners want to install patio doors to open onto an outdoor seating area.
A planning statement submitted with the application said: “The proposed changes are extremely minor and will, crucially, bring a vacant commercial unit in a busy town centre walkway through Wokingham back to life.”
It explained that installing the new outdoor seating will mean raising and levelling the ‘patio area’ outside the shop front. However no fixed tables, chairs or umbrellas will be installed.
The planning statement, written by planning consultant Martin Butler Partnership, also said Wokingham Borough Council’s commercial property investment manager has supported the application.
However, it will be up to the council’s planning department to decide whether the proposals should be allowed to go ahead.
