20 High Street Theale Reading RG7 5AN Data via plota.co.uk

26/00597/FUL - Full Application (8 Weeks) Awaiting decision

Proposal

Change of use of upper floors, front and rear dormers and two Storey Rear Extension to create 14-Bed HMO. Data via plota.co.uk

View original council record ↗Last checked

Application progress

Received
13 Mar 2026
Validated
2 Apr 2026
Consultation
14 Apr 2026
Decision
Expected by 31 Aug 2026

This application is under consideration - no decision has been issued yet. Plota predicted a decision around 14 Sept 2026; it is now day 165. The consultation period closed on 6 May 2026.

Documents 24

All documents on the council site ↗

Site constraints 4

Theale High Street / Blossom Lane conservation area
Demolition needs planning permission and permitted development is restricted.
The council must give weight to preserving or enhancing the area's character and appearance. Not every council has published its boundaries as open data.
12 listed buildings within 150 m
Nearest: 29, High Street, Grade II, 49 m away · 12 Grade II
The site itself is not listed. Listed building consent is needed for work that affects the special interest of a listed building, inside or out, on top of planning permission. Setting can be a consideration for buildings nearby; there is no fixed radius.
Show all 12 with distances
Historic England ↗
Also on the record
Inside the Theale (West Berkshire) built-up area; the 1970s provisional farmland map had this area as grade 4, but it predates the buildings here and the current map does not class it as farmland.
Not affected
Outside flood zones 2 and 3 · Not green belt · No scheduled monument at the site

Checked on 11 September 2026. Historic England, the Environment Agency, Natural England and council datasets, Open Government Licence. A boundary can run through a site and the council holds the definitive record: confirm with the council before relying on this.

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Important details

Application type
Full Application (8 Weeks)
Postcode
RG7 5AN
Received
13 Mar 2026
Validated
2 Apr 2026
Ward
Theale
Parish
Theale Parish Council
Case officer
Show
Target decision
31 Aug 2026
Applicant
Show
Agent
J Butterworth Planning

Decision outlook

Day 165, past the statutory target. 82% of changes of use in West Berkshire are decided within thirteen weeks; extensions of time are common, and the council need not decide on the day. Last seen undecided on 12 Sept 2026.

Day 165109 days past the 56-day target
41%decided within 8 weeks
90%approved
59decided in the last year

Plota live figures for changes of use decided by West Berkshire in the last twelve months, from validation. West Berkshire decision record →

Public comments

21comments received
21 objecting

100% object · above the UK average of 75%

17 neighbours consulted · Last counted 12 Sept 2026

Read the comments on the council site ↗

Consultation & key dates

Comments by
6 May 2026
Site or press notice
14 Apr 2026
Statutory expiry
28 May 2026
Env. assessment
No
West Berkshire
Planning Authority Score
3.9/10
Below average
#202 of 296 councils
Relevant to this application:
Change of use

West Berkshire is slower than most councils at deciding householder applications, ranking #199 out of 296. Householder applications are slightly more likely to be approved here (93%) than the national average (90%).

Slower than most councils
for householder decisions
These figures are council-wide context, not a prediction for this application. View full council performance
West Berkshire decision statistics
Based on MHCLG data, the year to March 2026
90%
Overall approval rate
Above avg (87%) #122 of 296
93%
Householder approved
Above avg (90%) #142 of 296
57%
Decided in 8 weeks
Below avg (63%) #199 of 296
46%
Extended time limit
Above avg (41%) #203 of 296
55%
Minor dwellings approved
65 decided (1-9 homes)
96%
Major dwellings approved
25 decided (10+ homes)
77%
Change of use approved
57 decided
1,045
Total decisions
108 refused in the year to March 2026