Plans Unveiled for New B&B-Style Flats in Reading

A fresh plan to turn offices into B&B-style serviced apartments above the Caffe Nero on Broad Street is set to be decided at a planning applications committee meeting on Wednesday, July 1.

The Broad Street Caffe Nero has been a fixture for more than a decade and is one of the busiest cafes in Reading. It sits on the ground floor of St Mary’s House, which has offices above on the first, second and third floors.

A previous plan to convert the offices into 37 bookable rooms was approved in June last year, but the building owner applied in May to create 41 rooms on the upper floors.

The changes would add three rooms on the fourth floor (six to nine) and one on the first floor (nine to 10). On the first floor a previously approved amenity space has been omitted to provide the extra serviced apartment.

Principal planning officer Jonathan Markwell states: "On the first floor level, a previously approved amenity space for future guests has been omitted, with this now proposed to provide an additional serviced apartment, which is comparable in nature with those already approved.

"The applicant has explained that, ‘the applicant's review of the market illustrates that the approved apartments include the necessary area for working and providing refreshments/sustenance whilst residing in the units’.

"Officers consider that the non-inclusion of a dedicated amenity space does not compromise the overall quality of accommodation for future users."

The report notes the second floor was occupied when the previous plan was discussed but is now vacant. Mr Markwell recommends approval subject to a series of conditions, chief among them a maximum stay of three months.

The application is on the council planning portal under reference PL/26/0603.

The previous plan was praised by councillor Karen Rowland when it was approved in March last year.

She said: "This is possibly one of the best uses to activate this corner through the facilitation of a serviced apartments situation here because of the busyness of that area, there are not truckloads of people who would want to make that a lifelong home.

"I think that serviced apartments provide a very good answer and solution for the building and I think it’s the right direction to go."

Mrs Rowland lost her seat to councillor Jacqueline Dominguez (Green, Abbey) during the local elections this year.

James Aldridge, Local Democracy Reporter