The conversion of an office building into a court in Reading town centre has been given the go-ahead.
Sovereign House, which is situated opposite Reading train station in Vastern Road, will be converted into a court after clearing a crucial planning hurdle.
Elsewhere, a plan to use a building as an Airbnb property has not been determined as it is the subject of enforcement action, and a plan to enlarge an existing home of multiple occupation (HMO) has been refused.
You can view each application by typing the reference in brackets into Reading Borough Council’s planning portal.
Conversion of offices into court clears planning hurdle (PL/25/0616)
The project to convert Sovereign House in Vastern Road into a Tribunal Court has been given the final go-ahead.
The building previously served as a headquarters for the Sovereign Housing Association, but is currently vacant.
The Ministry of Justice has won permission to convert into a court after entering into a legal agreement with the council.
The internal space will be repurposed to provide even hearing rooms, 10 judicial offices and ancillary facilities.
Unauthorised outbuilding cannot be used as an Airbnb (PL/25/1183)
The council has not decided on an application to use an outbuilding as an Airbnb property in West Reading.
The outbuilding was recently built at the junction of Gloucester Road and Elm Park Road.
The council has not decided on the application as the building was ordered to be torn down in an enforcement notice issued last September.
The decision states: “The building in situ is subject of an enforcement notice which requires the dismantling of the building and its removal from the land.
“The Local Planning Authority declines to determine this application on this basis.”
Conversion of house into HMO refused (PL/25/1536)
A plan to convert a home into a HMO for multiple people in East Reading has been rejected.
The existing house is situated in Donnington Road, in walking distance to the University of Reading Whiteknights Campus.
Planning officer Nathalie Weekes visited the site on January 6 where work is progressing on an approved extension.
However, the plan has been refused given the substantial number of HMOs that already exist in the area.
Conversion of workshop into two homes approved (PL/25/1315)
A plan to convert a vacant two-storey workshop into two one-bed homes near the town centre has been approved.
The building is situated in York Road in the Bell Tower area, near its junction with Caversham Road.
The owner has successfully applied to convert it into new housing.
Both homes would come with kitchen and living facilities on the ground floor and double bedrooms and bathrooms on the first floor.
