Plans have been approved to create more flats at a huge office complex in Reading town centre.
The owning company of the Abbey Gardens building is going through the planning process to convert the defunct offices into apartments.
Elsewhere, the apartments that replaced the Wickes and Iceland stores are nearing completion, and details for the conversion of a hotel into a nursery have been approved.
You can view each decided application by typing the reference in brackets into the council’s planning portal.
Creation of additional apartments at defunct office (PL/25/1711)
The McGrath Group, the company that owns the Abbey Gardens office complex in the town centre, has won permission to create more apartments.
The Abbey Gardens is a defunct office building that can be seen from King’s Road.
Plans have been approved to convert into 92 or 107 flats.
This latest plan involves the creation of 17 flats within the attic and roof space within the northern and middle blocks of the building.
The project was approved under permitted development rights on January 19.
Building standards met for shop or cafe at apartments (PL/26/0054)
Building standards have been met for a retail unit created for the ‘Emporium House’ apartments that have been completed near the town centre.
The council has confirmed the draft Building Research Establishment Environmental Assessment Methodology (BREAM) for a ground-floor shop, restaurant or cafe at the apartments in Weldale Street.
The apartments that have replaced the old Iceland and Wickes stores have gone through a few name changes.
When the project was approved in 2017, it was called the Foundry Quarter, with the site subsequently being rebranded ‘Domain Reading’.
Details for conversion of hotel into nursery (PL/25/1631)
Crucial planning details for the conversion of a hotel into a nursery along Bath Road have been approved.
An applicant won permission to convert the Beech House Hotel into a nursery in September last year.
The project was approved on the condition that further details be submitted to the council for acceptance.
The applicants won permission for the details of the bin storage, a buggy store, the installation of an acoustic fence, cycle parking, and the construction method for conversion works on January 21.
Change to creation of flats in Caversham rejected (PL/25/1608)
Changes to the creation of flats at St Martins Precinct in Caversham have been rejected.
The site owner, Sorbon Estates, had applied to make adjustments to plans to add 30 to 40 new apartments and retail space.
The company argued the proposed changes to ‘Phase 1A’ of the project were ‘non-material amendments’.
However, the council’s planning department did consider the changes material, meaning Sorbon Estates requires full permission for the proposals.
