Bracknell office building conversion could total 163 flats

The Atrium Court building in the town centre is in the process of being converted from offices into 150 apartments.

Now, the owners of the building want to add floors to the building for more flats.

READ MORE: Bracknell offices WILL be converted into 150 flats as no objections were raised

Meanwhile, Wokingham Borough Council had a planning meeting on Wednesday, April 12.

During the meeting, a plan for three new industrial units at a business park in Wokingham was refused, and a plan for a new all-weather cricket pitch in Finchampstead was put on hold.

You can view each application mentioned by typing the reference in brackets into the relevant council’s planning portal.

Floors addition to massive converted office building (23/00228/PARC)

Atrium Court in Bracknell. Credit: Google Maps

The owners of Atrium Court have applied to add a floor to the building.

This would make Atrium Court seven storeys tall.

All 13 of the flats proposed would have one bedroom.

The addition would bring the total amount of residential units to 163.

New storage at research facility (23/00171/FUL)

An existing soil store at Jealotts Hill. Credit: FDG

Syngenta, the company that runs the Jealott’s Hill research facility, has applied to build a new soil store at Building 134 on the site.

A design access statement submitted with the application states the new store will help facilitate the ‘BioStar’ project at the research centre.

That project, revealed in January 2022, involves a £60 million regeneration of the facility.

New industrial units at business park rejected (Wokingham app 222513)

The Lawrence Centre, Oaklands Park business area, Wokingham. Credit: Google Maps

A plan by a business to build three new industrial units at Oaklands Park near the Mulberry Business Park in Wokingham has been refused.

The business was hoping to make additional space for The Lawrence Centre row of units, amounting to two extensions and one new unit being built.

However, the plan was opposed by councillor Sarah Kerr (Liberal Democrats, Evendons) who argued the new units would cause disturbance to neighbours in Blagrove Drive.

The council’s committee rejected it by five votes to two, with cllr Chris Bowring (Conservative, Wokingham Without) appearing to abstain.

All weather cricket pitch plan deferred (Wokingham app 211335)

A cage which would be used at the all weather cricket pitch on land next to Lynfield House in Finchampstead. Credit: Wokingham Borough Council Youtube

The decision on a plan to create an all weather cricket pitch on farmland Lynfield House, White Horse Lane, Finchampstead was deferred so that councillors can go on a site visit.

The creation of the pitch was approved by the council in principle in August 2021.

However, a Judicial Review caused a major snag with the project, with the council acknowledging its report had failed to adequately address the impact on horses, particularly regarding horses being ‘spooked’ by the sudden loud noise of a cricket ball being hit by a bat.

Councillors on the committee had concerns about the pitch being an inappropriate development in the countryside, ultimately deferring the decision to visit the site.