James Aldridge

1 week ago | rdg.today | James Aldridge

Police have been urged to act to tackle ‘flagrant’ drug use along one of the busiest roads in Reading. Oxford Road stretches for miles with dozens of residential streets feeding into it. A councillor has recently complained about open drug abuse and dealing in the area. Eight drug offences were reported to Thames Valley Police (TVP) in February, according to police data. The police were urged to take action following a presentation by top chiefs at a recent Reading Borough Council meeting.

1 week ago | rdg.today | James Aldridge

A scheme designed to help people make improvements to their homes in Reading has been suspended for months on end. The Flexible Home Improvement Loan Scheme has been available in Reading since 2012. The scheme allowed people to get upgrades to improve the warmth, comfort, safety, and security of their properties. Beneficiary groups included people aged 60 and over, buy-to-let landlords and people who wanted to bring an empty home back into use.

1 week ago | rdg.today | James Aldridge

Progress is being made on the construction of a new gym at a retail park in Reading. JD Sports will be opening a gym that will feature a sauna, a sled track, a hammer strength kit and more at Reading Link Retail Park. The JD Gyms website states: “Our gym in Reading is coming soon!“Expect an incredible fitness facility packed with hundreds of pieces of kit and industry-leading machines, a huge free weights and cardio area, plus a dedicated glute training zone.

1 week ago | rdg.today | James Aldridge

A hotel near Reading town centre could be turned into flats for permanent residents. A plan has been submitted to convert The Belle Vue Hotel in Tilehurst Road into seven homes. In the university area, a closed car sales business is set to be occupied by another company. Elsewhere, separate applications have been submitted to convert houses into children’s homes in Tilehurst and Earley. You can view each application featured by typing the reference in brackets into the council’s planning portal.

1 week ago | rdg.today | James Aldridge

Drivers call for Uber to come to Reading so that they are able to compete with ‘out-of-town’ drivers who are allowed to use the app for bookings. The town has a number of private hire taxi companies and drivers, who must be booked prior to a journey commencing. Drivers based in Reading have been getting licences from other boroughs such as Wokingham, Fareham and Oxford, which allows them to take Uber customers.