A plan to add extra levels to the former Reading offices of mobile phone company to create more than 70 apartments has been turned down.
Great Brighams Mead in Vastern Road was the home of Three, which has since moved to bigger premises in Green Park.
In June last year, permission was granted to convert it into 110 apartments.
Developer Kings Oak Miami Ltd wanted to add 72 apartments, making a grand total of 182 homes, something rejected by Reading Borough Council’s planning department.
According to the plans (application reference 220778) two storeys would be built on top of the existing roof, but the planning department argued a fifth storey roof level constituted three-storeys.
It was felt the design would “produce an incongruous and boxy addition” to the building.
And officers said the materials proposed would be out of keeping with the area and the existing building itself: Great Brighams Mead is made of a brick and stone, with the developers proposing that the new storeys be made of glass and metallic panelling.
The council planning officer also argued the development would be detrimental to those living in De Montford Road and 17-21 Vastern Road, with the additional floors thought to overshadow the existing homes and restrict access to sunlight.
So far, no appeal has been lodged so far, but the applicant has six months to do so.
The plan was submitted as a prior approval application, because it relates to a conversion of offices into homes, allowed under permitted development rights, but developers do have to submit plans to the local planning authority to ensure they are acceptable.
The conversion of Great Brighams Mead from offices into 110 flats (planning reference 210567) was granted to applicants McKay Securities last year: 54 will be one-bed, 54 will be two-bed, and two will be three-bed.
The 72 new apartments would have added 36 one-bed and 36 two-bed units.
According to UK Property Forums, McKay Securities sold Great Brighams Mead to current owners Kings Oak for £19 million this February.
The nearby area is due for a lot of development, with housebuilders Bellway due to submit a plan to build 60 homes on the opposite side of the road by demolishing the Carters store, which closed in December 2020.
Additionally, 209 homes are set to be built at the SSE site in Vastern Road, and 600 homes could replace the Station Shopping Park.
