Fresh plan to replace Reading hotel with apartments

The Tower House Hotel in East Reading could be demolished and replaced with two connected blocks, despite a similar plan being refused.

Elsewhere, property owners have applied to convert buildings they own from business and commercial use into flats at three other locations in the town.

You can view each application by typing the reference in brackets into the council’s planning portal.

Plan to replace hotel with flats (240015)

Tower House Hotel in Wokingham Road, East Reading. Credit: James Aldridge, Local Democracy Reporting Service

The owner of the Tower House Hotel opposite Palmer Park has applied to knock it down and replace it with 12 flats.

These flats would be contained within two blocks with a similar design to the existing hotel, which would even be connected at the first-floor level like the current building is.

The proposed street scene for the fresh plan to replace the Tower House Hotel in East Reading with 12 flats. Credit: The Keen Partnership

The blocks would contain six three-bedroom and six two-bedroom flats.

A plan to replace the hotel with separate blocks containing a total of 14 flats was refused in January last year.

Conversion of printer business into homes (240154)

The Valpee Printing company business in Tidmarsh Street, Reading, which could be converted into three flats. Credit: Google Maps

The owner of a building used as the home of the Valpee Printing business wants to convert it into three one-bedroom flats.

The printing business currently occupies a brick building in Tidmarsh Street, which is off the Oxford Road.

The floorplan to convert the Valpee Printing company business in Tidmarsh Street, Reading into three flats. Credit: Colony Architects

Floorplans for the conversion show all the proposed flats having living, kitchen and washing facilities.

However, some of the facilities differ, with units one and three having single beds and shower toilets, with unit three benefitting from a double bed and bathroom.

Plan for flats above new tech shop (231639)

The new Smart Tech shop being prepared for opening at 88 Broad Street in Reading town centre. Credit: James Aldridge, Local Democracy Reporting Service

The owner of 88 Broad Street has applied to convert the first and second floors of the building into two flats.

The Smart Tech phone and accessory shop recently opened on the ground floor of the building.

Now its owner wants to create two one-bedroom flats on the above floors.

Existing floorplans show that the first and second floors are already used as a two-bedroom flat, with the beds on the second floor and living facilities on the first floor.

Conversion of office space into flats (240085)

The Havell House offices in Queens Road, Reading, subject of a plan to convert one of the floors into flats. Credit: Google Maps

The company that owns an office and commercial building in a busy road near the town centre has applied to convert one of its floors into two flats.

Havell House is an office building located in Queens Road, and is currently home to the Laser Express opticians on the ground floor.

The rest of the building is made up of offices, with the third floor being created by an extension.

Now the owners want to convert office space on the third floor into one one-bedroom flat and one two-bedroom flat.