Office building to be turned into almost 100 flats

Offices in Reading town centre are set to be converted into nearly 100 flats after plans were approved.

The Abbey Gardens office complex stands seven storeys tall along Kings Road in the town centre.

The office complex, near the Abbey Ruins, is due to be converted into 92 apartments, made up of 84 one-bed and eight two-bed flats.

The project has been approved through permitted development planning rules that allow the conversion of commercial buildings and offices into homes.

Conversions like the Abbey Gardens project require prior approval from the local planning authority to determine living standards are acceptable for future occupants.

The project was approved following an assessment by Reading Borough Council planning officer Nathalie Weekes.

She wrote: "It is evident that the vast majority of habitable rooms will benefit from suitable access to natural light, given the size of the existing clear glazed windows and the configuration of the proposed units."

The Abbey Gardens residences will be car-free, with the exception of three accessible disabled parking bays, with future occupants being able to make use of 48-cycle storage spaces.

The plans also said future occupants would not be entitled to an on-street car parking permit.

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