A plan for hotel-style flats above a buzzing town centre cafe has been decided.
St Mary’s House in Reading has a Caffè Nero on the ground floor and offices above, standing at a prominent location at the meeting point of Broad Street, West Street and St Mary’s Butts.
Earlier this year, the owner of the building applied to convert the upper floors into 41 serviced apartments, which would function as hireable rooms for short to medium-term stays.
A previous plan for 37 of these hireable rooms was approved by Reading Borough Council in June last year.
But the owner adjusted the plan, increasing room provision and removing a first-floor amenity space for future occupants.
These changes were decided on at a meeting of the council’s planning applications committee.
While the councillors were broadly supportive, concerns were raised about rat-infested bins and the need for serviced apartments in the first place.
Councillor David Stevens (Labour, Abbey) said: “We’re very conscious this has come before the planning committee before and was approved, so I think I have no concerns about it, and we’re happy to support this.
“Particularly the facade is totally unaffected, and so people walking past will see no difference unless they look right up, which is fine.
“The big issue for anybody who knows our area is the refuse management, St Mary’s Courtyard behind has been a disaster, and those trade refuse bins have been appalingly managed, we have awful shots of rats crawling round, so waste management behind those buildings, particularly from residents is absolutely key, ebcause there is no gate between there and that wider area, you really have to keep an eye on that.
“Providing that is well managed, this will be absolutely fine, and I’m happy to support it.”
A condition of approval states details of refuse, recycling and food waste bins and storage must be submitted and approved by the council’s planning department prior to first occupation.
Then, the discussion shifted to the need for serviced apartments.
Cllr Kathryn McCann (Green, Redlands) said: “I was just wondering, do we really need all of those serviced apartments?
“Because I know there are a fair few other developments that have been discussed and approved for either serviced apartments or apart-hotel developments, we actually do need homes.
“I’m not sure why the requirement is only for people to stay for a certain amount of time.”
She then queried why the planning department had requested a condition defining three months as the maximum stay.
An example of an approved development for serviced apartments is the 107 rooms within the QVS1+ project, which are being created above ground at the junction of Queen Victoria Street and Friar Street.
Meanwhile, there are existing House of Fisher serviced apartments in West Street and Kings Road.
Jonathan Markwell, the council’s principal planning officer, replied that each planning application is assessed on its own merits, and that the size of the rooms provided would not be suitable for permanent residential accommodation.
Councillors unanimously approved the 41 serviced apartments at the planning applications committee meeting on Wednesday, July 1.
You can view the application by typing reference PL/26/0603 into the council’s planning portal.
