Plans have been submitted to Wokingham Borough Council that could see an office building converted into an education centre and place of worship.
Muslim Community Connect Wokingham has applied for a change of use for the property at unit 4, Winnersh Fields, off Gazelle Close in Winnersh.
The application noted how the proposals have evolved following an identified need from the Muslim community for a new community centre to serve its community.
Following consideration of several sites in the local area, the applicant considers the application site and its location to be the most appropriate to meet the need.
It said: “The provision of a place of worship in this location will further contribute towards maximising social inclusion for the communities in both Winnersh and Wokingham, and also sustainable patterns of living given the high level of accessibility the site offers.
“The proposal seeks to change the lawful use of the building and does not propose to change the external appearance or scale, massing, and height of the existing building.”
The office building, previously occupied by Pyronix until 2023, has been actively marketed since September 2024, and was previously marketed in March 2023.
The agent responsible for the marketing of the building noted: “A reasonable number of interests were expressed in the freehold.
“The primary contenders were a care company for administration and training, an educational enterprise, and the Muslim Community Connect Wokingham.
“Noticeably, none of the parties in contention were pure office users.”
The 4,126 sq ft property was being marketed for offers in the region of £899,000.
The consultation remains open until April 2.
For more information, search application number 250543 on Wokingham Borough Council’s planning portal.
