An office building in a business park on the outskirts of Reading could be transformed into a place for nearly 100 flats.

The Regus building at Thames Valley Park in Earley could become 94 apartments in the business park. The project, which has been submitted by Thames Valley Park Investments is divided in two.

The first part of the plan involves the conversion of the existing building into 62 flats. Of those, 52 would have one bed and 10 would have two beds.

Car owners would be able to make use of 136 car parking spaces, with the developers also providing 94 cycle parking spaces, amounting to one per dwelling.

The second part of the project would add two floors to the Regus building, with designs showing two external staircases being established. The two additional floors would create 32 flats. Of those, 26 would be one-bed and six would have two bedrooms. Here, the developers would provide 42 car parking spaces and 32 cycle parking spaces.

Therefore, if both plans are approved, the building would total 94 flats. That would make 78 one-bed and 16 two-bed apartments.

For modes of transport,  158 car parking spaces and 126 cycle parking spaces would be provided if both plans are approved, with all of the cars being parked in the existing car park for the Regus building.

Also, future occupants would be able to make use of the Thames Valley Park and Ride, which provides a shuttle service that runs between the business park and the Royal Berkshire Hospital, and is a stop on the RailAir bus running between Reading and Heathrow Airport. 

These plans for the Regus building have been submitted under Permitted Development Rights, which permits the conversion from commercial use to housing under less strict planning rules.

For large conversions such as the Regus building project, developers need prior approval from the local planning authority to determine whether access to daylight and required living space standards are met.

In this case, the planning authority is Wokingham Borough Council, as Thames Valley Park falls within Earley.

The Regus building project is split into two applications:

  • 241855- to convert current offices into 62 flats
  • 241853 - to add two floors to create 32 flats

The conversion plan for the Regus building comes as Thames Valley Park is one of the sites being considered for a new, relocated Royal Berkshire Hospital.

That project is part of the new hospitals programme which was initiated by the previous Conservative government to deliver-

The future of the project is uncertain, as the current Labour government announced that the new hospitals project is in review amid a £22 billion annual 'blackhole' in government finances.