A huge office building near Reading town centre that used to serve as a job centre is set to be converted into nearly 100 flats.
The Kennet Place offices in Kings Road were one of the buildings that replaced the Huntley & Palmers factory after it was demolished in 1978.
The five-storey building was previously occupied by the Prudential insurance company and the Department of Work and Pensions (DWP).
However, both Prudential and the DWP vacated, leaving Kennet Place unoccupied.
Photos inside show the atrium and common areas to be in good condition.
Now the offices are set to be converted into 93 flats.
Last August, applicants S & S Quality Contractors applied to convert all floors of the buildings into 65 one-bedroom and 28 two-bedroom flats.
Future occupants will be able to make use of 93 unallocated residential parking spaces, including five disabled bays, 10 residential electric vehicle charging points and two car club bays with electric vehicle charging points.
The conversion project was approved by Reading Borough Council’s planning department last October.
You can view the application by typing reference PL/24/0997 into the council’s planning portal.
The project was approved after S & S Quality Contractors submitted a prior approval application to the council.
The conversion of office buildings into housing has been considered permitted development since changes to planning rules were made in 2013.
Larger conversions require ‘prior approval’ from the local planning authority to determine that minimum living standard rules would be adhered to.
