The Queen’s Wharf offices in Queens Road have been vacant for a number of years.
Now its owning company has won permission to convert the ground floor of the building into apartments.
Elsewhere, a plan to ‘fill in’ space between two homes in Whitley has been rejected by a government-appointed planning inspector, and a councillor has won permission to create more living space at his bungalow.
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You can view each decided application by typing the reference in brackets into Reading Borough Council’s planning portal.
Conversion of offices near town centre into apartments (PL/24/1496)
The Queen’s Wharf offices that are passed by thousands of commuters each day can now be converted into flats.
Two previous applications to convert the offices were refused as the external walls did not meet the required fire safety standards.
READ MORE: Plans to remove cladding from Reading flats after flat conversion plans are refused
Now the building owner has won permission to convert the ground floor of Queen’s Wharf into seven flats.
These will be made up of a studio, three one-bed and three two-bed apartments.
The application was approved under permitted development rights allowing the conversion of offices into homes, on the condition that the external wall be upgraded for fire safety purposes prior to occupation.
Whitley flats plan rejected (PL/23/0115)
The land between two homes in Highmead Close, Church ward, Whitley, where a plan for four new flats has been refused. (Image: Google Maps)
A plan that would have created four flats in Highmead Close, Whitley has been rejected.
The developer PNM Construction wanted to construct new buildings containing two two-bed flats each.
One of these would have been attached to an existing house, with the other being a detached flats building.
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The project was rejected by the council’s planning department, with an appeal against the decision being dismissed by inspector B Astley-Serougi on January 21.
The inspector concluded that the project would have harmed the character and appearance of the area by creating an unbalance to the symmetrical and open green layout of the area, creating small private garden areas for the flats which would be out of keeping with neighbouring gardens, and introduce ‘excessive hardstanding’.
Extensions to councillor’s home approved (PL/24/1148)
The bungalow in Scholars Close, Caversham, owned by councillor Matt Yeo (Labour, Caversham). (Image: Reading Borough Council)
Extensions to councillor Matt Yeo’s home in Caversham to provide a new dining room and more living space.
Cllr Yeo (Labour, Caversham) lives in a bungalow in Scholar’s Close which currently has two double bedrooms, regular living facilities, a conservatory and a garage.
READ MORE: Caversham bungalow set to have 12 new solar panels
The project involves creating an entry hall, converting the garage into habitable accommodation and adding 12 solar panels to the roof.
The application was approved by the council’s planning applications committee on Wednesday, February 5.
