Affordable flats planned at Berkshire 'homeless' hotel

The aparthotel could be turned into 100% affordable housing under the new proposal

A serviced apartment block being used to house homeless people during the coronavirus pandemic could be turned into 40 new affordable homes.

Flexistay, which operates the aparthotel in Padworth, wants to convert the existing building into 20 flats and build 20 more next to it.

Under plans submitted to West Berkshire Council all the flats will be available to rent under a let-to-buy scheme.

The programme offers affordable leases that allow tenants to save a deposit.

According to the proposal, the new homes will be a mixture of one, two and three bedroom apartments over three floors, with communal gardens and 50 car parking spaces.

They will be in "stacked modular blocks" designed to look like a "cluster of smaller buildings rather than one large building", the plans state.

Flexistay said the new homes would provide economic security and other benefits for those "struggling to meet day to day needs due to high rental costs", according to the Local Democracy Reporting Service.

It said: "The proposal is for a 100 per cent affordable housing scheme consisting of 40 new flats providing stability for low income or vulnerable families in the area."

If approved by the council, housing provider company RentPlus will rent out and maintain the development.

West Berkshire Council is due to make a decision in March.