Slough planning round-up: Flats and offices already built at former drug rehab turned down

Here are the latest and most significant planning applications in Slough borough. To find out more, enter their reference numbers into Slough council's online planning portal at sbcplanning.co.uk/search.php

Refused: A bid to keep four flats and an office that were built on the site of a former drug rehab has been turned down by Slough council.

Changes were made at 331-333 High Street to turn the two upper floors of the building into four studio flats and the ground floor from shop use into office space.  

Plans span a 270sqm floorspace, with each of the flats at about of £37sqm to 40sqm each.

The ground floor is already being used as offices – and building work has been marked as complete in planning documents.

The applicant - director of MYM Law Solicitors based at 329-331 High Street - applied for retrospective permission, meaning some or all of the work has been completed, but formal permission wasn’t granted beforehand.

This can happen when owners make changes without realising they need planning consent – and try to get planning permission afterwards to avoid enforcement action.

But the application was refused by Slough council. According to planning documents, officers said the plan failed to show the flats provided suitable living standards.

Concerns were raised about the size of the flats, how bins and cycles would be stored, and how residents would be protected from noise in the busy town centre.

The council said this meant the scheme went against local policies on housing quality, waste storage, and sustainable transport.

In dealing with this application, Slough council ‘sought to work with the applicant to accept amendments, however, these were not adequate to overcome the reason for refusal.’

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Pending: An application is in to try to turn a repair garage into an MOT testing centre Chalvey.

The plan, by company Slough Automotives, seeks a part change of use of the Auto Express in White Hart Road.

The proposal aims to introduce MOT testing alongside the garage’s existing car repair services.

The site, which has been operating as a vehicle repair garage for more than 30 years, is located within an established industrial area in Chalvey, surrounded by similar automotive and industrial uses.

No external changes are planned to the building, and the business will continue to operate within the existing structure.

A single vehicle ramp, brake testing equipment and emissions analyser would be installed inside.

According to the design and access statement, the change would not increase the building’s footprint or affect its external appearance.

The applicant states the proposed use will have no greater impact on nearby residents, with work taking place inside the building to minimise noise and fumes.

The proposed operating hours are 8am to 6pm Monday to Saturday. Deliveries and collections would be managed through an appointments-based system to avoid disruption.

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Refused: A bid to keep hold of 1.8m fences put up between properties has been quashed by Slough council.

Changes were made at 14 St Michaels Court and other properties in Northborough & Lynch Hill Valley ward to convert a grass verge into residential garden.

This involved installing 1.8-metre-high wood fencing.

The proposal sought retrospective permission – meaning that part or all of the work has already been done, but permission wasn’t sought beforehand.

This can be because the applicant was previously unaware that they needed permission from the council for the work – and is keen not to be slapped with an enforcement notice for unauthorised construction.

According to planning documents, the applicant already completed the works earlier this year and was hoping to be allowed to keep the changes.

But Slough council said these are harmful to the area’s character, saying changes brought a loss of greenery and the fence is poorly positioned, creating a negative overall visual impact.

Council officers warned the development could set an undesirable precedent for similar boundary changes.

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