A convenience store in Whitley has been given permission to keep on selling alcohol until midnight on weekends.
Niki Convenience Store in Whitley has won permission to sell alcohol until midnight on Fridays and Saturdays, and until 11pm the rest of the week.
The shop on Whitley Wood Lane, at the roundabout junction with Whitley Wood Road, has been a neighbourhood staple for years, selling snacks, soft drinks and alcoholic drinks to local customers.
The successful licensing application was submitted to Reading Borough Council last November and allows the shop to open from 6.30am each day. Under its previous licence it had to close at 10pm Sunday to Thursday and 11pm on Fridays and Saturdays.
A statutory consultation ended on December 22, 2025, with no objections being received. The grant of the licence was confirmed by a council licensing officer.
The owner of Niki Stores, Ghanshyam Patel, previously objected to a licensing application for a new store to sell alcohol at the former Berkshire Home Brew and Smith's motorcycle site.
Mr Patel's objection stated: “Whitley Wood Lane is already home to Niki Convenience Store, which adequately serves the needs of our community.
“The addition of another alcohol store is unnecessary and potentially harmful to the overall well-being of our neighbourhood.”
Niki Stores received a 0/5 food hygiene rating following an inspection last October, with the Food Standards Agency website stating that major improvements were necessary.
James Aldridge, Local Democracy Reporter
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