A ‘dilapidated’ bakery near the town centre could be converted into a house and six flats.

Plans have been submitted to turn the disused bakery on St John’s Street near The Lyndhurst pub, which connects to 102 Queens Road, into one two-bed house, five one-bed flats and one two-bed flat.

The developer has held pre-planning discussions with the council, where they agreed to keep the front façade of the former bakery unchanged ‘where possible’.

The Reading Conservation Area Advisory Committee (RCAAC), has backed the “positive” plans under three conditions.

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Evelyn Williams, chair of RCAAC, said the committee would like to see:

  • More evidence of the impact on the character and appearance of the area in a heritage statement
  • More details of materials should be provided and be enforced by a condition
  • An enclosed garden area at the front of the house.

One neighbour raised concerns the new flats will overlook his own own property and asked for more clarity on the plans.

He said the development would also increase pressure on parking in the area .

The developer said no extra demand will be placed on parking and the development would add two off-road parking spaces.

But a transport officer at Reading Borough Council (RBC) said the developer’s submitted site/floor plans do not show any off-road provision.

The officer also asked clarification on how many cycle storage spaces the developer plans to provide, with three spaces recommended for the six flats and two for the house.

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The six apartments would be within the three-storey bakery building, with the two-bed house in the two-story adjacent terrace property.

Two sets of double doors on the building that were previously used as entrance doors for the delivery of flour to the bakery would be replaced with timber laminated doors.

Describing the plans on behalf of the developer, a planning consultant for Bluebird Design and Surveying said the development will make” efficient and positive use of an underutilised site” within the borough and deliver “massive improvements to the street scene”.

They added that the proposal was a good standard of accommodation for future occupiers, close to good public transport facilities, local services and jobs in the town centre.