Council approves office conversion into 72 new flats on flood plain in Theale

A proposal to convert offices into 72 flats on a flood plain has been approved.

Edco Ventures Ltd has submitted an application to determine if prior approval is required to convert offices in Forum 1, Station Road, Theale, into flats, with 154 car parking spaces.

West Berkshire Council determined prior approval is required and the application has been granted, subject to conditions with respect to flood risk and transport issues.

It stated that no flat shall be occupied until flood risk resilience and mitigation measures and an emergency flood response plan have been prepared.

The site is located part within Flood Zone 2 (medium flooding risk) and part within Flood Zone 3b – areas considered to be at a higher risk of flooding from rivers or the sea.

The Lead Local Flood Authority, Environment Agency and the council’s drainage team objected to previous drafts of the applicant’s Flood Risk Assessment.

The updated FRA, submitted on February 12, raised the ground floor levels to provide a freeboard level of 300mm to protect against the 200-year plus climate change flood level in response to Environment Agency comments.

It added that safe access/egress routes are generally available and the development does not impact on flood risk elsewhere.

It further noted that individual owners/management team will be encouraged to sign up to flood warning schemes.

The council’s drainage team commented on January 21: “We would require detailed survey…to confirm the levels, along with the finished floor levels of the lowest habitable room on site.

“As there is sleeping accommodation proposed on the ground floor, we would expect a more robust FRA and Evacuation Plan.”

But the case officer’s report read: “The two concerns [the drainage officer] raised are not reflected within the comments from the EA or the council’s emergency planning team.”

It confirmed a site wide flood risk plan to be implemented by the management company has been secured through a condition.

Paragraph 181 of the National Planning Policy Framework states that development should only be allowed in areas at risk of flooding where it can be demonstrated that the most vulnerable development is located in areas of lowest flood risk; the development can be quickly brought back into use without significant refurbishment after a flood; it incorporates sustainable drainage systems; and that safe access and escape routes are included as part of an agreed emergency plan.

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