Buildings that have until recently served as an office complex in Reading town centre are now set to be turned into flats.
The offices at the former Huntley & Palmer factory site at 121 Kings Road are progressively being turned into housing.
The latest news from the site is that the distinctive Beta Building can be converted into more than 40 apartments.
That is just one of the plans that were decided by Reading Borough Council before the Christmas break.
Elsewhere, advertising and wayfinding designs for the Village Hotel at Caversham Bridge have been approved, as has a plan to create a new kitchen and dining room for a family in Caversham itself.
You can view each application featured by typing the reference in brackets into the council’s planning portal.
Conversion of offices into 44 flats (PL/25/1573)
The distinctive Beta building at 121 Kings Road is due to be converted into 44 apartments.
The conversion will create 31 one-bed, two-person flats, 11 one-bed one-person flats and two two-bed three three-person flats.
The project was assessed by planning officer Jonathan Markwell, who determined that the application meets all the rules relating to the conversion of offices into housing.
This approval follows the conversion of neighbouring Kennet Place into 93 flats last year, which are being marketed by Haslams.
Signing plans for Village Hotel (PL/25/1455)
Plans for advertising and wayfinding signage for the Village Hotel at Caversham Bridge have been approved retrospectively.
The branding and signage were installed prior to the opening of the 122-room hotel last month.
The signs help direct guests to the entrances and the car park.
Details of the positioning and size of these signs were granted retrospective approval by the council on December 22, 2025.
New kitchen and dining area for family (PL/25/1563)
An application for a single-storey rear extension to create a kitchen and dining room for a family in Caversham has been approved.
The home, situated in Chiltern Road, is semi-detached, with planning Sian Hickey noting that the adjoining property already has a rear extension.
She therefore judged that there would not be an adverse impact on the neighbours if the plan for the new extension was granted.
The project was duly approved last month, allowing for the creation of a kitchen and the installation of a five-seat dining table and a three-seat breakfast bar.
New MRI unit for independent hospital (PL/25/0615)
A new MRI unit can be installed at the Berkshire Independent Hospital in Coley.
The hospital has won approval for a temporary modular building to be installed next to the main entrance of the hospital, accessed via Wensley Road.
The facility will be established to facilitate more MRI scans.
Planning officer Nathalie Weekes concluded the project would not have an adverse impact on parking, so the modular building was approved last month.
