Redevelopment of St Martin's Precinct, Caversham?

[Mayfield]

To be rather acid I think this perception of 'Caversham' style is something dreamt up by yummy mummy's in Costa

[OLDMAN]

To be rather acid I think this perception of 'Caversham' style is something dreamt up by yummy mummy's in Costa

.................. or people on the Heights School thread!

[Mayfield]

Thanks !

[chris_j_wood]

To be rather acid I think this perception of 'Caversham' style is something dreamt up by yummy mummy's in Costa

Indeed. Historically Caversham was a very poor place indeed, without even any mains drainage until they sold their independence in return for Reading paying for a new bridge and the installation of sewers. I suspect that a communal dung-heap in the middle of the precinct is not the 'Caversham Style' people are looking for, but it might be more historically correct.

[johnH]

St Martin's Precinct plan: traders want more shoppers' parking

getReading
Linda Fort
09/02/15

Caversham traders are worried the new plans for a run-down shopping precinct will not tackle parking problems.

Plans to redevelop St Martin's Precinct have been back and forth to the planning committee at Reading Borough Council and will be discussed again on Wednesday, February 11.......

http://www.getreading.co.uk/news/local- ... rs-8600181

[Mayfield]

What really doesn't help is one whole row of parking being taken by a private company ......

[OLDMAN]

As usual parking is the last thing for then to worry about!

I bet if pushed the answer will be the usual: public transport - no good with several bags of shopping etc. but they don't see that

[Mayfield]

There is very limited space their anyhow so what ever they do is going to have to involve an imaginative use of space.....maybe changing the way the parking is charged will improve the flow of traffic in and out.....
Caversham Health & Fitness clients use it as well as local shoppers so there is a lot of pressure on a small area...

[jim]

Any information on when work is due to start?

[Mayfield]

There is some low key activity now....often seem to be a couple of men above the Jennings block......the car park has been resurfaced and relined too...not sure when the main activity will start.

[monsento]

Oh you lucky Caversham people. You are getting a branch of Signage.

a big iceland sign would lower the tone for the artwork i guess

[monsento]

Do they start meetings at 6.30 in order to make it as difficult as possible for the public to get there??

Yes, that can surely be the only possible reason.

During the day, of course, they all sprawl about on tiger-skin rugs being gently fanned with ostrich feather fans by their catamites, sipping vintage Krug supplied by their favoured contractors, and devoting their entire time to dreaming up new transport schemes and roadworks designed specifically to inconvenience you, Mayfield.

This is all true. Bloke in the pub told me.


Edited

the more we are shown and see, this might actually have some truth

[jim]

Any news on when work will commence?

[Mayfield]

A few weeks ago there seemed to be some activity, especially above Jennings and the Optician, but all is quiet at present...

[Fed-up]

Waitrose have now decided not to expand, and it seems others changes are being made:

http://www.readingchronicle.co.uk/news/ ... expansion/

[Bannock]

Bit of a shame. Cat amongst the pigeons there.

I wonder what will happen to the current Superdrug unit then? Assuming it's too big for some independent retail, perhaps it would make a good restaurant site, or even a Lidl convenience store? I'd not mind that at all. Far rather shop in Lidl for basics these days than overpriced Waitrose.

http://www.independent.co.uk/news/busin ... 62721.html

[Dai Brainbocs]

Hard to see any restaurant moving in if Pizza Express is practically next door. Caversham must be just about at capacity for eateries (including an excellent Italian).

[Bannock]

Well the popularity of dining out seems to be rising, look at all the restaurants next door to each other in the Oracle.

Hardly the most unlikely of scenarios.

We have Greek, Italian, Chinese, Indian and Thai in Caversham, yes, plus a few pubs doing grub, and Alto Lounge doing their thing. Myalacarte too, no doubt a few others. Always room for one more variety I'd have thought. A Grill/BBQ place maybe? Wine Bar/Bistro?

If a little cinema is still part of the plans, that's more footfall and passing trade too.

What would you expect or like to see there, Dai? I'd hope it can avoid the fast food type of thing though, McD's KFC etc.

[Dai Brainbocs]

Anything but fast food! A really good fish restaurant, but the danger is that adding one more strand to the mix could spread things a bit too thinly and make others unviable. I quite like the mix as it is. Myalacarte is the best restaurant I have ever eaten in.

[Mayfield]

Our favourite too......

I'm missing something...why do we think Superdrug is leaving? And if they were wouldn't it be possible that someone would take both Superdrug plus the old QS site and knock into one ?

[C8H10N4O2]

Superdrug were moving into one of the new build's facilities, not leaving (AIUI).

[Mayfield]

Maybe they'll just stay put...Or perhaps another supermarket will take over from Waitrose, they lost out to Saisbury's in Marlow so they are not invincible......and if Hermes can find willing partners who knows.....

[savagethegoat]

Oh no, where will my Butler buy the Prosecco now?

[C.A.Versham]

Oh no, where will my Butler buy the Prosecco now?

You should have it delivered - just as many others do which is one of the reasons why Waitrose do not need to expand. The market conditions they refer to also relate to the discounters who stock, horror upon horror, only two types of olive oil rather than the 20 or so we have come to expect.

Will this mean that the public toilets, due to be closed to save RBC a few pennies, will now remain open? They were heavily used during the Reading Rock festival I seem to recall.

[savagethegoat]

I think I may be a little off route.

[ReadingT]

Love when people criticise Waitrose.

They serve a different market to the stack 'em high sell 'em cheap crowd.

I don't know why people find that so hard to understand.

[Mayfield]

I visit Waitrose several times a week, for us I feel they are value for money but the range can be disappointingly small and they are slow to stock new products sometimes. I hope they at least have a refit and upgrade even if they are not expanding....
We sometimes go to Tesco but I'm not so keen on Saisbury's and dislike Asda although I know others like it. We've tried Lidll, nothing made me want to rush back, but we'll give it and Aldi another go.......horses for courses.....

[Bannock]

Anything but fast food! A really good fish restaurant, but the danger is that adding one more strand to the mix could spread things a bit too thinly and make others unviable. I quite like the mix as it is. Myalacarte is the best restaurant I have ever eaten in.

Myalacarte is a funny one. Hugely popular, for very good reasons, you'd think they could easily cope with larger premises and turn a few more quid, yet they stick to the little corner shop they're in. Odd. Maybe they think expanding will ruin what they've got.

[Dai Brainbocs]

It's a very delicate balance. I suspect Myalacarte is synched perfectly between the size of the kitchen, the number of chefs, the number of tables and the number of waiting staff needed to join it all up.

We used to go to Bel & the Dragon every six weeks or so before the refurb, which ruined it. Only once since. Many more places but far fewer people eating there.

[Fed-up]

Agreed it is a delicate balance. The Rajmoni in Lower Earley was always packed and when Sainsburys arrived, they moved to a far bigger unit but seemed to keep the trade and some more as well so that they were still very busy.

Sadly now that we are no longer in that part of town we don't tend to visit so I can't say if that is still true.

[Avis]

Love when people criticise Waitrose.

They serve a different market to the stack 'em high sell 'em cheap crowd.

I don't know why people find that so hard to understand.

I have long ago given up arguing with people over Waitrose (although I did make an exception when someone was raving about a £2 Lidl shower gel - I had to mention that the Waitrose one that I use is just over £1) - it's pointless.

I do shop in Waitrose, Tesco, Lidl and Aldi, depends what I am looking for. I get regular emails from Aldi and Lidl saying what the special offers are this week. All have things that are good value and things that are not.

(Aldi's Lacura skincare is highly regarded, and is very good, but my regular Superdrug facecream is usually cheaper.)

[Avis]

I was in Superdrug earlier this year and overheard someone saying that they would be moving next door to the old QS store in April - that didn't happen.

I know that the Waitrose staff were looking forward to having a larger store. It is a bit cramped in there. I do have to go to Tilehurst for a meeting once a month, so I give myself a treat and go to the big Waitrose in Oxford Road and stock up on things I can't get in Caversham. (Yes, I know I could get them delivered, but I am not that organised!)

The whole plan seems to be falling apart, it all sounds a bit of a shambles now.

[Dai Brainbocs]

I live just on the Reading side of the river but If we need shopping we go to Oxford Road Waitrose rather than Caversham unless it's at a peak time for traffic through Cow Lane. Finally easing that bottleneck next year will make the decision even easier.

[Mayfield]

Anything but fast food! A really good fish restaurant, but the danger is that adding one more strand to the mix could spread things a bit too thinly and make others unviable. I quite like the mix as it is. Myalacarte is the best restaurant I have ever eaten in.

Myalacarte is a funny one. Hugely popular, for very good reasons, you'd think they could easily cope with larger premises and turn a few more quid, yet they stick to the little corner shop they're in. Odd. Maybe they think expanding will ruin what they've got.

I suspect ( though I could be wrong) that for now family time is a high priority....looking back I can see that my OH worked long hours, often 7 days a week and maybe we could have done things differently....perhaps they are just making the most of the children's early years, which heaven knows go by quickly enough....

[Buster grey]

Waitrose has back peddled about expanding in Caversham.

Due to market changes we are told.

I would laugh if Aldi moved into the Super Drug site.