The Reading Chronicle reports because of the vast number of homes in the town being converted into flats that the council is passing measures to combat this trend.

Family sized homes have and are being  turned into either houses in multiple occupation (HMOs) with shared facilities or self-contained flats.

Landlords are able to convert a house into flats or an HMO for as many as six people without having to apply for planning permission because, according to government regulations, these types of conversions are classed as permitted developments.

However within the council’s boundaries this type of conversion can be limited in certain areas with an ‘Article 4 direction’ and must receive planning consent before the conversion can be started.

Currently, an Article 4 direction is applied in 52 areas in Reading which cover Redlands, Park and Katesgrove wards and Jesse Terrace in the Abbey ward.

Reading Borough Council has just passed a policy to limit flat and HMO conversions within Article 4 areas down to 25 per cent of homes.

This restriction on numbers of flat and HMO conversions was made by the council when changing its ‘Residential Conversions Supplementary Planning Document’ and is part of the Reading Local Plan introduced  in 2019.

Some of the changes made to the plan’s document removes the language that states HMOs are  ‘suitable’ for students and now states HMOs are ‘sought’ by students instead.

The full wording reads: “Reading is home to the University of Reading, as well as Reading College.

“Residential conversions, often in the form of HMOs, provide accommodation sought by students who often spend some time at University in shared houses.”

Lead councillor for planning Micky Leng (Labour, Whitley) said: “Just because something is sought doesn’t mean it’s suitable.

"So there’s a slight change in language. I’m always one for that, because I’m into subliminal messaging.”

The document also defines what rooms in houses are best suited for conversions saying that basement renovations can be ‘deficient’  due to lack of adequate daylight, headroom and outlook. It also advises against some loft conversions even with dormers as not always being suitable ‘as they often result in a cramped form of living space’.

Referring to the policies, Cllr Leng said: “If I’m marking it out of 100, it would be 100.5.”

Committee chairman Cllr Paul Gittings quipped back: “That’s for the committee to judge Cllr Leng!”