THE venue of what was Wokingham town centre’s only nightclub is set to be turned into office space.

Spin bar and nightclub closed just before Christmas in 2017 and since then the ground floor at Alexandra House has been vacant.

Councillors voted through proposals to convert the space at a planning committee meeting on Wednesday, May 8, after hearing how the plans could create up to 10 new jobs.

But potential employees driving into work would be forced to go to Elm’s Park Car Park as the application listed no allocated parking spaces to accompany the office space.

Councillor Maria Gee, ward member for Wescott, submitted a comment read out at the planning meeting which outlined her “regret” at the lack of parking spaces in light of the council’s car parking strategy.

Changes to the site would add 264 square metres of additional space in the town centre, providing four new retail units.

The application was submitted by Wokingham Borough Council (WBC) and councillor Gee questioned why the authority was converting the site to office space when the current level of this provision in the town centre.

Spin bar and nightclub closed suddenly in late 2017, leaving Wokingham town centre without a nightclub.

But a report produced by planning officers explained the council was under no obligation to retain a town centre nightclub venue.

The report claimed: “There are no policies set out in the Development Plan which seeks the protection of nightclubs, and it should be noted that there is an existing Public House in close proximity to the application site (i.e. The Gig House).”

However, no objections were received by WBC in relation to this application and councillor Carl Doran said: “The changes here are minimal. I think it is a sensible change of use which is why no one is complaining about it.”

Councillors unanimously approved the application at WBC’s planning meeting.