Reading store gets extension approved despite neighbour’s privacy concern

A corner shop convenience store in west Reading will get extensions despite a neighbour’s concern it will impact on her privacy.

Plans for extensions to Mary’s Store on St Georges Terrace in west Reading drew objections from a neighbour due to how close it would be to their home.

The plans were revised by applicant Jeyanthini Anathasothy several times after concerns were also raised by officers.

Planning officers had raised issues over how close it would be to the neighbour, as well as its height and depth and the amount of clear glazing.

They said this would cause a loss of privacy through “overlooking, visual dominance, and overbearing effects”.

Several changes were made to the plans, with officers eventually satisfied.

Next-door neighbour Sheena Mackay said the revised plans had taken steps to reduce the impact on her property but the extension’s proximity to her home “has not changed” and “creates a sense of enclosure and potentially a loss of privacy”.

She also raised concerns about loss of natural light and said, overall, it “would have a “significant detrimental effect on my property and hence on me”.

The rear extension would be an enlargement of the existing shop to allow for an expansion of the convenience store. It would be used for shop storage and staff access only.

Alba Daja, agent for the applicant, said the extension “would be of great benefit” to the shop owners.

Councillor Jo Lovelock, chair of the committee, had raised concerns about last minute changes to the application, which the neighbour had not been able to see and suggested the plans should be deferred.

While councillor Jane Stanford-Beale agreed with Cllr Lovelock that the plan should be deferred due to the late changes, difficulty in seeing images and inability of speakers to attend the meeting in person, no other councillors agreed.

The vote went ahead, with all councillors in favour except for Cllr Stanford-Beale and councillor Paul Carnell, who voted against the plan.