Police Planning Proposals for Temporary Training Use of Historic Reading Gaol

A PLANNING application has been submitted by Thames Valley Police (TVP) to use the vacant Reading Gaol site as a temporary location for firearms training for its officers.

Reading’s historic prison remains empty and unused at this time pending the development of plans for an education centre and associated community facilities, which were announced by new owners, the Ziran Education Foundation, on purchase of the site.

In the meantime, an application by TVP has been received which seeks a temporary permission for a change of planning use of the site, consisting of a mixture of classroom and scenario-based training for police officers within some of the existing prison buildings. The temporary facility would supplement TVP’s existing training facilities at Sulhamstead.

TVP’s application outlines how the site would be used for training sessions of ‘real world’ scenarios, which would typically take place once or twice a week, and between the hours of 8am and 4pm. A maximum of 14 students and six firearms instructors would be on site per day and firearms would utilise blank rounds with no live ammunition used.

The temporary use would make use of the existing layout of the site and buildings, with no alterations proposed. No additional police training would take place and the site would not be used for day-to-day policing purposes.

TVP’s application follows on from the successful temporary use of Reading Gaol in 2016 as an art exhibition by Artangel.

Council planning officers have been in pre-application discussions with TVP.  The application is currently scheduled to be determined by 20 November. It can now be viewed through the planning portal on the Council’s website https://publicregister.reading.gov.uk/pr/s/register-view?c__r=Arcus_BE_Public_Register using application number PL/24/1222

Councillor Micky Leng, Reading Borough Council’s Lead for Planning, said:

“As the town awaits more details on how the new owner, Mr Channing Bi, and his associates plan to develop the site, the Council has received this application by Thames Valley Police for a temporary training use.

 “The prison, as we know, has been vacant for far too many years since it was abruptly shut down by the Ministry of Justice back in 2013.  TVP’s application proposes making practical use of what remains a vacant site, pending further progress on a longer-term vision.

"As is always the case, the application will be considered on its planning merits.”