Slough flats development halted over parking worries

Developers had planned to built a two story extension on the Phoenix One office building

Concerns over parking disputes between prospective residents and office workers have led to an apartment development being refused planning permission.

Developers wanted to build 36 apartments on an existing office block in Slough, Berkshire.

Council planning officers said there was risk of residents and office workers "competing" for parking spaces.

They also raised concerns over the size of the apartments being proposed.

Columbia Threadneedle Portfolio Services wanted to construct a two-storey roof extension on the four-storey Phoenix One office building on Farnham Road, according to the Local Democracy Reporting Service.

The development would include one and two-bedroom flats. The plans showed 92 car parking spaces, including seven disabled bays, three electric charging vehicle spaces and 95 cycle parking spaces.

Planning officers rejected the developer's request for prior approval, which would effectively bypass the planning process to speed up development if the council did not object.

Their report said there was insufficient evidence provided to show there would not be pressure on parking spaces between the future residents and nearby office workers.

"This lack of parking provision may lead to on-street parking in an area where such opportunities are very limited and would lead to significant risk to highway safety," a planning officer wrote.

They also believed some of the proposed flats were below the nationally described space standard, which would lead to "inadequate living conditions for the future occupiers of those units".

The developer was previously granted permission to convert the 5,165sqm office building into 56 flats, which also compromises one and two-bedrooms.