A fresh plan for short-stay hotel rooms above a busy cafe in Reading town centre has been rejected.
The former La Baguettes building in Blagrave Street currently serves as the Blagrave Rooms with a cafe on the ground level.
The successful business CUP Cafe took over the ground floor unit in 2018, with the Blagrave Rooms providing five bedrooms for guests.
Building-owning company La Baguette has submitted a series of planning applications to Reading Borough Council seeking to make improvements to the building and expanding the amount of rooms provided.
A fresh plan was submitted last October which involved an increase in the rooms provided to 14, and making improvements to the existing layout.
The project would have required the demolition of the rear of the building to allow newbuild elements to be constructed reaching five storeys.
Justifying the plan, an agent from ET Planning said: “It is considered the proposed development ensures that high-quality bed and breakfast
accommodation and a café is retained in an important location for visitors without adverse effect on the character of the area or the amenity of neighbouring residents.”
But there was a clash over the impact the design of the extensions would have on the Town Hall, a Grade II listed building, and the Market Place and London Street conservation area.
The Ridgeway Heritage Consultancy stated the demolition of the rear of the building is ‘of little heritage value’ and pointed out that the ornate street frontage would be retained.
While Evelyn Williams, the chair of the Reading Conservation Area Committee, supported the creation of the boutique hotel, she argued the extension of the building by three storeys would make it ‘top heavy’.
Furthermore, she stated the designs left room for improvement, suggesting the existing frontage should be refurbished.
The project was assessed by council planning officer Marcelina Rejwerska, who recommended that it should be refused.
Her recommendation stated the development would be disproportionated and harm the appearance of the area.
She judged: “The project would create an unbalanced front fenestration pattern compared to neighbouring properties and would be a disorganised front façade resulting in an imposing and unsympathetic development, harmful to the building of townscape merit on site.”
Furthermore, La Baguettes Ltd failed to enter a legal agreement with the council committing to limiting the length of stay for occupants, opening the possibility that the rooms could be turned into permanent residences.
Ultimately the application was officially refused last December.
You can view the refused application by typing reference PL/24/1353 into the council’s planning portal.
