A property owner has been refused permission to convert a building that once housed a drugs rehabilitation centre into flats and offices – despite having already done so.
Mr Majid Malik applied for permission to convert 331-333 High Street in Slough town centre into offices and flats in August this year.
The ground floor has been occupied by MYM solicitors since at least 2018, while the first and second floors previously housed a drugs rehabilitation centre.
However an application for planning permission submitted to Slough Borough Council in July last year suggested that the ground floor only had planning permission under use class E(a) which is for the ‘display of retail sale of goods’.
It also included designs for four studio flats to be built across the first and second floors.
The application form indicated that the conversion had started and finished in February 2022.
The owner submitted various amendments to the plans since applying in January.
Council planning officers said they had ‘sought to work with the applicant to accept amendments’.
But they decided to refuse the plans on 11 June, on the grounds that the flats didn’t provide residents with adequate living conditions.
Planning officers said: “The application fails to demonstrate that the proposals can suitably provide adequate amenities for the new dwellings, including adequate internal space standards, cycle and bin provision, and adequate noise mitigation.”
They added: “In dealing with this application, the Local Planning Authority sought to work with the applicant to accept amendments, however, these were not adequate to overcome the reason for refusal.”
