‘Three years from hell’ is how Shelley Burns described her time living in a flat converted from an office block.
The 53-year-old lived in Princess Court in Crowthorne, an block of eight flats that used to be an office space in Wellington Business Estate.
She said that the flat was ‘unlivable’, with the space being ‘tiny’ and only one window able to properly open in her bedroom. It was difficult for her to get through her front door in her wheelchair.
Shelley is one of many people across Bracknell living in housing in buildings that were previously used as offices.
As Government rules have changed to make it easier for developers to change the use of office blocks into residential spaces, questions arise over whether conversions are the answer to the country's housing crisis - or whether they're producing inadequate homes for people in need.
In this month alone five of applications have been received or decided on conversions of office blocks to flats.
These include a hundred new homes on Pinewood Campus in Crowthorne and in the Transport Laboratory, as well as plans to convert Fitzwilliam House in Bracknell town centre into 78 flats.
The former Government expanded planning laws this year to make it easier for developers to change the use of certain buildings into housing.
Between 2015 and 2023, more than 100,000 new homes were delivered across England through change of use permitted development rules. 89 per cent of these were through the conversion of office, business or retail units.
It makes up around six per cent of the number of new homes created across England in that time period.
But research has found that homes created in this way result in ‘worse quality residential environments’ than those that require traditional routes of planning permission.
For Shelley, this was the case.
She lived in Princess Court in Wellington Business Estate, an eight-flat block that used to be used for offices.
Ms Burns, 53, described her flat there as ‘tiny’ with doorways so small she couldn’t fit her wheelchair easily through the doorway.
Suffering with MS, she said she only had one window that she could open in her flat in her bedroom.
“I can’t believe that was liveable guidelines,” she said. “Honestly, it was horrific.”
But Laura Carter, mum of three, had a much better experience.
She lived with her family in Apex House on London Road in the town centre for five years.
Ms Carter said: “Initially, I thought its perfect – these offices aren’t being used and there’s a housing crisis. The flat itself I didn’t have any issues with, it was brand new, it was privately rented, to a nice standard.”
A parliamentary committee expressed concerns in 2021 that some homes created through conversions were ‘of poor quality and situated in unsuitable places’.
There has also been concerns raised by the Local Government Association that cutting corners to convert office blocks relieves developers of requirements to deliver affordable housing.
Councillor Tricia Brown, chair of Bracknell Forest Council’s planning committee, said that ‘all sorts of problems’ can arise from converting office buildings.
Councillor Brown said: “There are huge challenges and sometimes it works out okay – but if that’s a way to provide reasonable housing for people for not too much money, I suppose it’s something to do.”
“We do need more housing and certainly more social housing”, she added.
Ms Carter, who has now moved into a new home close to Apex House with her family, agrees that it’s a good way to address the housing crisis.
“It won’t be ideal for all, and some people might have bad experiences. But these offices have been empty for years. I support it, provided it’s all done correctly.”
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