Offices in east Reading will be transformed into at least 24 flats, and could become 43 in total, after plans were approved by Reading Borough Council (RBC).

Plans from developer Burleigh Estates to convert the two-storey office building Alexander House, 205-207 King’s Road, into 22 flats, were approved by the council on Friday, June 25.

However, the developer has also recently submitted two applications which could add an extra 21 flats by using up loft space and building an extra storey.

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In one of the applications, Burleigh Estates is seeking prior approval to convert roof space into 11 flats and also wants to add two extra flats on the ground and first floor.

The other proposal, is seeking planning permission to build an extra storey with eight flats on top of the building.

Each separate planning application, if all given the go-ahead, would bring the most recently approved 22-flats plan to 43 flats in total.

There would be 30 parking spaces and 44 bike storage spaces on site.

The site’s recent history

Alexander House is a few doors down from the former Arthur Hill swimming pool, which is being demolished – with the frontage kept intact – to be replaced by 15 flats for key workers.

Reading Chronicle: PICTURED: The old Arthur Hill swimming poolPICTURED: The old Arthur Hill swimming pool

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Another developer, Mount Properties C/O Investra Capital, was granted planning permission in May 2017 to demolish Alexander House and build a four-to-seven storey building with 56 flats but the development did not go ahead.

More recently, a plan from P.J. Alexander Estates a more ambitious plan to demolish the offices and build a seven-storey 182-bed student block was refused by the council in July 2019.

A planning inspector rejected an appeal against the decision in December 2020.