A plan to convert a prominent office building in Reading town centre into dozens of flats has been rejected over flooding concerns.
The Pinnacle building occupies a prominent position along Caversham Road, in walking distance from the main train station.
Marketing states potential occupants can make use of 2,406 – 7,846 square ft ‘high quality’ office spaces.
Addressed at 20 Tudor Road, building owner Red Pinnacle had applied to convert it into 58 flats.
The conversion would have provided 54 one-bed flats and four two-bed flats from ground level to the fourth floor.
Initially, Red Pinnacle wanted to create 70 flats, but plans to create 12 flats on the fifth floor were removed on August 11.
Future occupants would have made use of 37 car parking spaces, with four with electric charging capabilities and two disabled spaces, and 48 cycle parking spaces.
But the plan was torpedoed by Reading Borough Council as homes are at a higher vulnerability level compared to offices for flooding.
A planning officer explained: “The change of use proposal would increase the flooding vulnerability risk of the building.
“The Flood Risk Assessment advises that flooding events will restrict access and egress to the site, and, in these circumstances, residents will be advised to remain in their properties once a flood warning has been issued.
“The Flood Risk Assessment goes on to set out that residents need to be made aware of hidden dangers during any extreme events, such as blown manholes and any potential future occupants will be required to sign up to the Environment Agency’s Flood Line to receive flood warnings, as well as making sure they are aware of any extreme storm events that may cause surface water flooding.”
However, shortfalls were identified in the risk assessment, such as the lack of information provided on estimated flood levels for the development, consideration of the impact of climate change in coming years, and details of any flood resistance and resilience plans.
The planning officer was therefore not confident that the flood risk would be managed effectively if the conversion was granted.
The report rejecting the project states: “The submitted Flood Risk Assessment does not adequately assess the flood risks posed from the development.
“The council is not satisfied the proposed change of use of the building from office to a residential would not increase the risk of flooding to the future occupants of the building, moving from a ‘less vulnerable’ to ‘more vulnerable’ classification.”
The conversion was rejected on August 26.
You can view the application by typing reference PL/25/0929 into the council’s planning portal.
