Owners of properties in Reading have been busy at work applying for flat, shop and office conversions this week.
Perhaps the most prominent conversion is the change of use of upper floors of the Oxford Road Pharmacy building from flats into consultation rooms.
Also in Oxford Road, an existing food shop is due for a conversion into a restaurant takeaway.
In Tilehurst, the owner of the Co-op Funeral Care building wants to change offices above it into flats.
Similarly, in Caversham, the old Whitings Butchers could be converted into an apartment.
You can view the plans by typing the reference in brackets into the council’s planning portal.
Pharmacy expansion and new shopfront (221403)
Oxford Road Pharmacy has applied to expand into the first floor of its neighbouring building and make changes to the shop it leases out next door.
266-268 Oxford Road is currently made up of a shop and a five bed home of multiple occupation (HMO) on the first floor.
The shop used to house the West Reading Pound Plus Store, which closed in 2020.
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Now, the Pharmacy has applied to change the shopfront and convert the HMO into four consultation rooms.
The plan also involves removal of a chimney, installation of solar panels, and the construction of a rear extension to provide a reception room for pharmacy customers.
Extension to assist conversion from shop to restaurant (221527)
Here, the applicants Flywingz Ltd have applied for a rear extension to assist the conversion of 381 Oxford Road from a food shop into a restaurant.
The shop is currently occupied by the Amrutha superstore.
It’s unclear what is happening to the shop, which is listed as ‘temporarily closed’ on Google.
However, the plan states the unit is being changed from class E (a) use -a food shop- to E (b) use – a restaurant or takeaway.
The plan shows the unit being recalibrated into a restaurant with a counter, bar, toilet and kitchen. The extension would provide an extended preparation and storage area.
Conversion of offices above funeral directors into apartments (221564)
Mr & Mrs J. Filbee, the owners of the 104-108 School Road, Tilehurst have applied to convert offices in the building into apartments.
It’s currently the home of The Co-operative Funeral Care, which is on the ground floor.
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The upper floors would be converted into two one-bed and one two-bed flat.
Each would come with a kitchen and living room. One of the one-bedroom flats would have an ensuite, with the other having a bathroom, and the two bedroom flat would have a single and a double bed, both ensuite.
Conversion of old butchers into home (221513)
The old Whitings butchers, which shut in March 2020, could be converted into a ground floor flat.
If approved, it would have a double bedroom, combined kitchen and living area, a shower toilet and access to a garden.
The plan has been submitted by Lucy Howarth, who appears to have revised plans for it after two applications in 2020.
One of these, 201183, involved an outbuilding for a gym or playroom, but the plan appears to have been withdrawn.
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